Five years after lockdowns began, have attitudes towards attending live music events returned to their pre-pandemic state of mind?
The British summer is often synonymous with outdoor music festivals and live entertainment. With one of the world’s leading domestic economies, it is estimated that consumers spent over £6 billion attending gigs, festivals, and club nights in the UK last year. That figure represents a substantial 35% increase on pre-pandemic levels. According to the National Arenas Association, for every 10,000 people who attend a live music show, £1 million is spent in the area surrounding the venue.
These figures highlight the importance of live entertainment to local economies across the country, but what about the driving force behind it, the consumer? How have attitudes and behaviours towards attending gigs and live music shows changed over the last five years?
The most recent report from LIVE (Live music, Industry, Venues), a federation that acts as a voice for the UK’s live music and entertainment business, includes a survey, carried out by Opinium, of 2000 people. Representing the fifth wave of research undertaken by LIVE since November 2022. The latest collation suggests we now have a “more settled picture”, and that current findings are a “representative indication” of thinking trends towards attendance post-lockdown.
The data shows that “fundamentally people still love live music”: 89% still regularly think about attending live performances. However, a quarter of participants still felt uncomfortable being in large crowds.
Notably, and unlike in previous generations, it was the youngest age group who were found to be going out less. The research uncovered that a concerning 19% of 18–24-year-olds no longer felt they had the energy to attend a live music performance, compared with 14% of those aged 55 and over. The 18–24 bracket also accounted for the highest percentage of those choosing not to attend at all.
Across all age groups, 7% reported that they no longer wished to attend live events at any point in the week. Amongst 18–24-year-olds, that figure rose to 11% for midweek events and 9% for weekends.
Attitudes Towards Attending – Opinium survey 2024
So why the rising lack of interest amongst younger audiences?
The current economic climate is no secret, but with the average spend on a night out at a gig in the UK now sitting at £166, or £220 for a show in London, the rising costs may be a key factor behind young people increasingly foregoing live experiences.
“You now pay a higher price for the exact same show, at the exact same venue,” said Chloe and her friends at a recent live event at Castle Park in Colchester.
“We much prefer a day like this. You pay a set price and see several acts over the course of the day,” added Shae.
The group had come out to see headline act Busted at one of the Colchester Castle Park Summer Series concerts, a ten-day line-up that takes place in the heart of the city.
Busted headline at Colchester Castle Park
Having attended live shows for over ten years, since their early teens, the group noted how much more expensive ticket prices had become. While they were largely happy to pay for the experience, it now meant they attended fewer shows overall.
“I’d say I’m more selective now in the shows that I do go to,” said Chloe.
The group explained how their approach to buying gig tickets had shifted from their younger years. They now felt the need to get the most value for money. Bigger productions or larger line-ups – with a higher ticket price – were preferable to smaller-scale shows featuring just one act. The result: they now attended fewer gigs across the year but would choose to attend ones, they perceived, as offering a more substantial experience.
A more selective generation
That shift, fewer gigs – but bigger ones, could be the defining change in post-pandemic attitudes. Audiences still love live music, but value for money now outweighs spontaneity. Rising costs have turned gig-going, once a casual night out, into a considered investment.
For the industry, the appetite is clearly still there. But as the younger generation proves more cautious with their spending, the question is no longer whether people want live music, it’s how much they’re prepared to pay for it, and how often.