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Music Concerts and Festivals - US - December 2017

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Overview
Figure 1: Concert and music festival attendance, October 2017
The issues
Ticket purchase issues and sold out events may impede increased attendance
Figure 2: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals tickets, October 2017
Advanced ticket purchases can lead to attendance issues down the road
Figure 3: When tickets are purchased and attitudes toward music concerts and festivals tickets, by age, October 2017
Attendees most likely to learn about concerts/music festivals from friends and family
Figure 4: Source of awareness, October 2017
The opportunities
Social sharing and tech can boost interest and improve experience
Figure 5: Second screen while at events, by age, October 2017
Rewarding loyal fans with intimate or surprise shows
Figure 6: Attitudes about music concerts and festivals, venues, and music knowledge, October 2017
Livestreaming live music events as way to offset increasing ticket prices
Figure 7: Sources of awareness and second screen while at events (livestreamed), October 2017
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Ticket sales continue to grow
Experience-hungry consumers and strong economy benefit live music
So many options: concerts, comedy shows, theater, and more
THE MARKET
Concerts
Concert attendance remains steady over time
Figure 8: Concert/music festival attendance, by age, 2013-17
North American concert tickets continue YOY growth…
Figure 9: Total tickets sold (top 100 North America concerts), 2000-16
…and along with rising ticket prices…
Figure 10: Average ticket price (top 100 North American concerts), 2000-16
…industry ticket sales continue to rise
Figure 11: Concert industry ticket sales (top 100 North America concerts), 2000-16
Music Festivals
Top Music Festivals in the US
Figure 12: Popular US Music festivals - Multiple day general admission and VIP ticket prices, 2017
MARKET FACTORS 
Entertainment and experiences are popular ways to spend extra money
Figure 13: How extra money is spent – experience items, January 2017
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Concerts/music festivals compete with other live entertainment options
Figure 14: "Be There When It Happens" - Hamilton Broadway (Radio Commercial), July 2, 2015
Social media can fuel interest in future attendance for non-attendees
KEY TRENDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Demand for a fair ticket purchase process
Striking a balance between authenticity and commercialization
Artists demonstrate their clout and control the live music experience
Technology may tempt non-attendance but can also boost interest
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Brands reach outside an event’s walls (or fences)
Figure 15: Bud Light limited edition Chicago-Themed Bottle, Summer 2017
Figure 16: H&M Loves Coachella, March 2016
Credit card users benefit from access to presales
Wristbands today are the credit cards of yesterday
Figure 17: RFID - Festival Wristband Instructions, December 14, 2015
Surprise shows reward fans who remain engaged
Figure 18: Foo Fighters tweet, August 1, 2017
WHAT TO WATCH
Ticket purchase issues makes attendance a challenge
Safety issues continue to cause concern for live entertainment
Festival newcomers may hesitate after epic festival failure
Figure 19: Announcing Fyre Festival, January 2017
Verified Fan systems reward loyal fans, don’t they?
Figure 20: Taylor Swift Tix℠ powered by Ticketmaster Verified Fan®, August 2017
Artists controlling the live music experience
WHAT’S NEXT?
Music festivals expand beyond the stage with their own restaurants
Figure 21: The Riot Feast, June 8, 2017
Virtual reality can augment and amplify the experience
Livestreaming concerts and festivals through commercials
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Young adults drive live music industry and are eager to attend more
Direct ticket purchases and personal information sources are preferred
Experiences are commemorated with physical items and social posts
CONCERT AND MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDEES 
Nearly half of adults attended a concert in the last year
Figure 22: Concert attendance, by number of concerts attended, October 2017
One in five adults attended a music festival in the last year
Figure 23: Music festival attendance, October 2017
Concert/music festival goers are one and the same
Figure 24: Concert and music festival attendance, by key demographics, October 2017
Past year attendees vary in their live music show types and habits
Figure 25: Concert and music festival attendance, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
MUSIC CONCERT AND FESTIVAL ATTENDEE SEGMENTATION
Not all past year attendees are created equal
Captured opportunity: Hardcore Fans
Secondary opportunities: Informed Concerters and Social Budgeters
Tertiary opportunities: Disengaged Procrastinators and Disinterested Affluents
Figure 26: Music Concert and festival segments, October 2017
Figure 27: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals, by music Concert and festival segments, October 2017
Hardcore Fans (27%)
Who are they?
Verdict
Figure 28: Profile of Hardcore Fans, October 2017
Informed Concerters (16%)
Who are they?
Verdict
Figure 29: Profile of Informed Concerters, October 2017
Social Budgeters (18%)
Who are they?
Verdict
Figure 30: Profile of Social Budgeters, October 2017
Disengaged Procrastinators (19%)
Who are they?
Verdict
Figure 31: Profile of Disengaged Procrastinators, October 2017
Disinterested Affluents (19%)
Who are they?
Verdict
Figure 32: Profile of Disinterested Affluents, October 2017
SOURCES OF AWARENESS
Social media and personal sources are main drivers for awareness
Figure 33: Source of awareness, October 2017
Social media pops for young adults
Figure 34: The Swift Life™ – First Look, October 11, 2017
Figure 35: Source of awareness – social media items, by age, October 2017
Email newsletters provide opportunity to connect with older adults
Figure 36: Source of awareness – online items, by age, October 2017
Hardcore Fans use wide range of media to learn about live music events
Figure 37: Source of awareness, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
WHERE AND WHEN TICKETS ARE PURCHASED 
45% of past year attendees buy directly through ticket distributors
Figure 38: Where tickets are purchased, October 2017
Majority of attendees buy their tickets months in advance of event
Advanced purchase provides event organizers the chance to connect…
…but not all can plan far out in the future
Figure 39: When tickets are purchased, October 2017
Social Budgeters benefit most from messaging about ticket sale dates
Figure 40: Where tickets are purchased, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
TICKET AND ATTENDANCE BEHAVIORS
Increased attendance will hinge on feasible prices and economic state
Alerts and refund policies can boost trust and reduce concern
Figure 41: Attendance and purchase habits - Ticket and attendance items, October 2017
18-34 year-olds anticipate attending more live music events next year
Payment plans can prompt increased attendance
Figure 42: Attendance and purchase habits - attendance in the next year, by age and household income, October 2017
Ticket resale most common among Hardcore Fans
Figure 43: Music concert and festival behaviors – select items, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
AT-EVENT PURCHASES
Beyond the music, food and drink options are important
Figure 44: Attendance purchase habits – food, drink, and merchandise items, October 2017
Merchandise purchases more correlated with income than age
Figure 45: Attendance purchase habits – merchandise, by household income, October 2017
Opportunity segments plan to attend more, but not all spend at events
Figure 46: Attendance purchase habits – select items, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
SECOND SCREEN WHILE AT EVENTS
Nearly four in five attendees use tech at concerts or music festivals
Figure 47: Second screen while at events, October 2017
For 18-34s, pictures and videos today may be the t-shirts of the past
Figure 48: Second screen while at events – select items, by age, October 2017
Opportunity segments share their experience on social media
Figure 49: Second screen while at events, by music concert and festival segments, October 2017
ATTITUDES TOWARD THE TICKET PURCHASE PROCESS 
Price and availability may put a damper on future attendance
Ticket distributors can be more transparent and flexible with payments
Figure 50: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals – Ticket items, October 2017
Ticket availability concerns are highest among core attendees
Figure 51: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals – select ticket items, by age, October 2017
Resale ticket purchasers are willing to pay more for their tickets
Figure 52: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals – select ticket items, by where tickets are purchased, October 2017
Hardcore Fans’ passion impacts their willingness to pay more for tickets
Figure 53: Attitudes toward music concerts and festivals, by Hardcore Fans and Social Budgeters, October 2017
ATTITUDES TOWARD VENUES, ARTISTS, AND MUSIC AWARENESS
Venue size matters but not as much as the lineup/artists
Half of past year attendees feel more informed than friends about music
Figure 54: Attitudes about music concerts and festivals – venue and artist, October 2017
Young adults’ passion for music runs far and deep…
Figure 55: Attitudes about music concerts and festivals – select items, by age, October 2017
…and may provide them with “bragging rights”
Figure 56: Attitudes about music concerts and festivals – knowledge items, by age, October 2017
Smaller venues matter most to affluent consumers
Figure 57: Attitudes about music concerts and festivals – venue size item, by household income, October 2017
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Consumer survey data
Consumer qualitative research
Direct marketing creative
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
Terms
APPENDIX – THE MARKET 
Figure 58: Concert/music festival attendance, by age, 2013-17
Figure 59: Popular US Music festivals - Multiple day general admission and VIP ticket prices, 2017

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