Turns out the mosh pit at a live music gig might be doing more for the youth of Australia than most government wellbeing campaigns combined.
A fresh national report has landed, and it paints a pretty stark picture of what live music means to young people right now.
The 2026 Young Australian Music Audiences Report has landed, and it says live music is basically therapy for a generation.
Released today by The Push, Australia’s music charity for young people, marking the third year running the organisation has surveyed young Australians on this exact topic.
The numbers are consistent: 65% rank wellbeing and happiness among the biggest benefits of going to gigs, 50% say live music helps them manage stress, anxiety or depression, and 53% say it strengthens their existing friendships, while 43% and 42% respectively say music events give them a sense of community and belonging.
2026 Young Australian Music Audiences Report
- 65% of young Australians say live music is vital to their mental health
- 50% use gigs to manage stress
- 45% of 16 and 17-year-olds are shut out of shows by venue licensing laws
- 68% are living on less than $100 a week for total entertainment spending
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But the money side of things is looking grim.
Only 19% of young Australians now have more than $100 a week to spend on entertainment, down from 25% in 2025 and 31% in 2024, while 37% are getting by on just $0 to $50 a week, up from 33% across the past two years.
The squeeze is hitting young women hardest, with 71% of young Australian females now living on under $100 a week, up from 57% in 2025.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds are also doing it tougher than their older peers, almost three times as likely as 18 to 25-year-olds to have under $25 a week to spend on entertainment altogether (32% compared to 11%).
Age is compounding things for teenagers specifically.
On top of the 45% locked out by licensing restrictions, the same proportion say there simply aren’t enough all-ages events available to them in the first place.
Needing a parent or guardian’s permission is also becoming more of a hurdle, cited by 36% of 16 and 17-year-olds in 2026, up sharply from 23% back in 2024.
There’s also a gap between how much young Australians love homegrown talent and how often they actually get to see it live. 67% say they feel proud listening to Australian music and 69% want to hear even more of it, yet 59% say they’d love to catch more local artists but don’t know where to find out about their shows.
Around two in five say they rarely or never see Australian artists, whether touring acts or locals, perform live.
Despite all that, young Australians are firmly behind government stepping in. 67% support public funding for live music events and wellbeing programs, with just 8% opposed.
The findings are drawn from a nationally representative YouGov survey of 1,025 Australians aged 16 to 25, conducted between 11 and 24 May 2026.
The charity says it’s now on government, industry and philanthropy to act on what the data is showing.
For more information, head here.
