Every year we dive into a segment of the live industry to find out what fans love, what they don’t like and ultimately…why they buy that ticket.

This is our sixth State of Play report, revisiting festivals which we looked at way back in 2012. This year we surveyed over 4,000 festival-goers and combined this with ten years of ticketing data to delve into the why, who, what and when of the festival fan.

Scroll down for photos of the stats in action in our Festival Room at the Ticketmaster Summit 2019.

Here are our top takeaways:

Who

Festivals are still the time for friends and family – 55% attend with up to four people, one in ten fans go with their kids and even 1% attend with grandparents!

Following London and the South East, people in the Midlands are the most likely to head to a festival.

When

41% of fans book when three quarters of the line-up is revealed.

The fans who book the quickest are the ones buying one-day tickets, big fans of the headliners, or fans who book the same festival every year.  

The proportion of customers purchasing tickets when they go on sale has decreased from 40% to 25% since 2010, so there’s an opportunity for last minute marketing (two months before) to 28% of festival goers. The younger 16-19 years old’s and Londoners being the most likely to book late.

What

Festival goers are spending more on the festival experience than they were in 2012. The cash is going on mostly drinks and clothes, with less on travel and food.

Fans are also spending more on experience – almost one in five (18%) would be likely to purchase a VIP ticket. Luxury toilets and a viewing area close to the stage are a fan’s favourite perk, with 80% saying they would spend more money for these. VIP accommodation and a lounge are the lowest rated options, but those who want them are willing to spend the most to get them.

Why

44% say they go back to the same festival every year, that’s dedication. Further to that, 3% have attended more than ten since 2016.

Atmosphere, line up and location are the three most common reasons why fans return year after year.

The data across this report really shows us that festival experience is key for festival fans; nearly half cite ‘escapism’ or ‘experience’ as their main reason for attending a festival.

Escape for a cup of tea and read the report in full including more insights on pricing, going digital, travel and more >


Check out the photos of the stats in action in our Festival Room at the Ticketmaster Summit 2019 >>