Live music fans move from festivals towards stadium and arena acts

Australians are moving away from music festivals towards stadium and arena acts, with new figures by Flight Centre Travel Group’s Stage and Screen showing almost a third (31%) of respondents indicating that they now prefer a headline act, such as Taylor Swift and P!NK, in a city stadium.

Following numerous reports of falling support for outdoor festivals, the Flight Centre figures show 89% of young people (aged 18 to 35) citing multiple reasons - including bad weather and rising costs - as deterring them from attending festivals.

Two thirds (66%) cited ticket prices as a major deterrent while more than one third (35%) are being put off by the logistical challenges of getting to festival locations as well as the general ‘festival atmosphere’.

One third of 18-35s (33%) additionally want to avoid exposure to bad weather, with festivals generally having limited available shelter. Over half (58%) of female respondents cited safety concerns.

In conjunction with the survey, Stage and Screen analysed Flight Centre bookings to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts in February. It discovered an 88% increase in fare sales to Sydney around the concert dates (23rd to 26th February) compared with the week prior. Flight bookings to Melbourne around Swift’s concert dates there (16th to 18th February) increased by 89% on the week prior.

In comparison, last year’s Splendour in the Grass and BluesFest witnessed far lower flight booking volumes to their events. Flight bookings to Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass in 2023 (specifically from 21st to 23rd July) were 49% higher than the week prior. Stage and Screen also compared flight volumes from to Byron Bay’s BluesFest this year (specifically 28th March to 1st April), saw a mere 1.6% increase in bookings on the week prior.

Stage and Screen General Manager Adam Moon says the data highlights a major music culture shift across the country, with rising costs, the elements and logistics fuelling the trend, commenting “price, convenience and comfort are clearly steering fans towards headline acts in city stadiums, but our figures show that ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out, ed.) is another factor.

“Major international artists only come to Australia every few years and the last time Taylor Swift toured Australia was in 2018. Festivals, however, are typically held every year.

“This is proving to be a costly shift for festivals, with a recent report showing only half of the nation’s festivals are now profitable.”

Moore says the data offers a chance for festival organisers to evolve, adding “providing more shelter, reducing ticket costs, ensuring safety and an inclusive atmosphere could breathe life back into this beloved Australian pastime.

“Perhaps now is the time to rekindle the flame of our homegrown talent and revisit the power of grassroots music. We’re a big believer of supporting artists of all stripes at Stage and Screen and we’re passionate about nurturing the very soul of Australian music.”

In April a research report from Creative Australia - Soundcheck: Insights into Australia's music festival sector - outlined the multiple challenges facing the sector.

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Image: P!NK's most recent Australian tour saw her play to almost a million fans at more stadium dates than any previous artist.