According to a new study by promoter and venue owner Live Nation, Australia’s Gen Z (aged 13 to 22) are fast catching up to Millennials (23 to 39) for concert and festival attendance. 65% of Gen Z, in the study, had attended an event in the past year, compared to 70% of Millennials. The study found attendance drops as people get older: only 51% of Gen X (40 to 49) attended in the 12 month period.
The Power Of Live: Global Live Music Fan Study For Brands looked at consumers in eleven countries. The others were United States, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany and France. It studied the behaviour of 22,500 fans aged from 13 to 65; and 2,008 of these were from Australia.
Australian respondents put music as one of the top things that defines them as a person (#2 right after ‘my pastimes’). For 62% of respondents, one of the most memorable experiences was a live event. 76% maintain that the moments that give them the most life are live experiences. 1% of Australians (compared to 10% global) say sex gives them more of a thrill than live experience.
What draws them to events is bonding; it’s spontaneous and allows them to be themselves. Their emotional intensity at these events is high: 70% rate it at 8, 9, or 10 on a 10 point scale. It’s more than what they get from sports experiences, streaming music, or playing video games.
The general consensus from all countries is that the live experience is far greater than the actual concert. 63% of Australians make a purchase specifically for the event. 56% plan a get-together around the concert. They spend an average of $151 at the show. 73% document the event. 58% share their experiences on social media.
The study suggests people crave live experiences in our increasingly digital world due to a trend called ‘sensation deprivation’. The study found that 73% of participants want real life experiences rather than digital. “Of course, digital life isn’t dying off – but after a decade of all that posting, pinning, tweeting, snapping, and streaming, people are tapped out,” the study reads. “They now recognize the importance of the physical world to their quality of life and are recalibrating their lives with more intention.”
Aussies have a reputation around the world for being early adopters of technology and for supporters of live music and new talent. But Australia has fewer live music attendees than the rest of the regions Live Nation studied, coming in #10 out of 11 regions – surpassing Japan (51% attendance) and trailing Canada (65% attendance) and the U.S. (65% attendance).
A snapshot of the average Australian live music enthusiast is someone with an annual income of $78k, 65% chance to be to be part of a global, online community, and five times more likely to be considered influential in their social circle.
