StubHub's Record-Breaking Summer Concert Season Led by Female Artists

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Sep 18, 2023, 13:32 ET

New survey findings reveal 78% of concert goers choose to put down their phone during the show, Gen-Z would skip some major life moments to sit front row at their favorite artist's show

NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- StubHub, the marketplace with the world's largest selection of live events, today announced that the summer of 2023 achieved record-breaking concert sales worldwide and released new consumer survey findings, illustrating the heightened role of live events amongst younger generations. Marking a memorable summer for female artists and fans, top female acts, led by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, account for 57% of StubHub's total summer concert sales globally.

A new StubHub survey, conducted by YouGov, indicates that consumers as a whole are prioritizing live events, especially Gen Z. More than half of Gen Z (60%) said they would skip a major life event, such as the birth of a family member or planned vacation, to see their favorite artist perform live in the front row. Younger generations are also inspired by live events for their travel plans (24% of Gen Z and Millennials plan to see a live event/concert when going on vacation), and this trend is evident in Taylor's Swift's Eras tour - 50% of StubHub buyers for her international dates are from the U.S.

"We've never seen a summer like this in our history and we can, without a doubt, contribute this to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. We are seeing the top female artists commanding higher ticket prices - the average ticket price for top female artists right now is $660, compared to $245 for top male artists," said Adam Budelli, spokesperson for StubHub. "People are rediscovering the value of experiencing a show as a community with other fans - our survey found that 26% of people said their first concert was a better memory than their first kiss or first job."

In addition to the leading female acts who are driving ticket demand, trends in consumer behavior reveal that live events are boosting other aspects of culture - from travel to fashion. When attending a show, Gen Z (18%) and millennials (18%) are 2.5x more likely to have purchased a themed outfit versus Gen X and 9x more likely than boomers.

Here is more on the survey findings:

Gen Z prioritizes live events, dresses the part and shares their experience.

Over half of Gen Z (60%) said they would skip major life events to be front row to see their favorite artist perform live – the events they would most likely skip are:
- The birth of a family member (25%), a planned vacation (25%), a friend's wedding (23%), a sibling's graduation (21%).
Nearly half of Gen Z (43%) would give up alcohol for six months for the chance to be in the front row to see their favorite artist perform live, 34% would give up coffee/caffeine for six months, 24% would give up sex for six months.
Gen Z (18%) and millennials (18%) are 2.5x more likely to have purchased a themed outfit for a live event versus Gen X and 9x more likely than boomers.
Gen Z (25%) and millennials (22%) have video called a friend while at a sports game or concert, both over 2x more likely to do so than any other generation.

People are in the moment and in their feelings at live events.

78% of respondents prefer to put their phone down when their favorite song plays at a concert and live in the experience, rather than record it to be able to watch later.
Adults name their first concert (26%) as a better memory than their first kiss (23%) and first job (20%).
20% of Gen Z have cried at a concert, followed by millennials at 17%.

Live events encourage travel.

The most popular reason for Gen Z and millennials (28%) to travel on their own expense to a city where they have no friends or family is to attend a concert or sports game.
Younger people are more interested in experiences on vacation. Gen Z and millennials (26%, 22%) are more likely to purchase tickets for a live event happening at their destination, compared to Gen X and boomers (16%, 16%).

Full findings can be found at stubhub.com/liveeventculture.

About StubHub
StubHub is the world's leading marketplace to buy and sell tickets to any live event, anywhere. Through StubHub in North America and viagogo, our international platform, we service customers in 195 countries in 33 languages and 49 available currencies. With more than 300 million tickets available to events around the world annually -- from sports to music, comedy to dance, festivals to theater -- StubHub offers the safest, most convenient way to buy or sell tickets to the most memorable live experiences.

Survey Methodology
The online survey was conducted by YouGov, in partnership with StubHub, in July 2023 with 2,468 adults across the US, ranging in age from 18 - 93. Gen Z in this survey are between the ages of 18 – 26, Millennials 27 – 42, Gen X 43 – 58, and Boomers 59 to 77.

SOURCE StubHub