Tixel and Bolster Group release second annual ticketing state of play report

Ethical ticket resale platform, Tixel, and entertainment and culture marketing agency Bolster Group have released the second edition of their annual research report ‘Big Ticket Items - Ticketing State of Play’.

Tixel and Bolster surveyed over 3,800 event goers in September 2023 in Australia and New Zealand along with a carefully curated panel of industry experts across live music and entertainment. The report unearths how consumers are spending their money on entertainment and how attendee behaviour is contributing to a challenging and sometimes confusing environment for those working in the business of live.

Jason Webb, Cofounder, Tixel shares “this research is a huge undertaking. It helps us more deeply understand ticket buyers and is a much-needed resource as we continuously redefine and recreate how to get more people to live events in sustainable ways, and how we can continue to fuel a thriving live experiences industry.”

James Clark, Bolster Group Chief Executive enthused “It’s exciting to build on the partnership we established with Tixel last year, and continue to empower the live event sector with insights that spark recovery and growth. This research is a critical tool for Bolster and our clients to navigate the complexities of a post-pandemic world. And the report offers a great public example of the cultural insights our team puts into campaigns day in, day out.”

A preview of some of the key insights available in the free-to-download report include:

• A Resurgence With a Twist: Attendance rates have reportedly surged to their highest since 2019, with people attending events more frequently — 53% of event goers are going to more events than they did last year. But consumer spending doesn’t match attendance and not all events are feeling this recovery evenly

• The Market’s Double-Edged Sword: Despite a competitive market squeezing event promoters, a mere 7% of attendees feel overwhelmed by event options, indicating a strong consumer appetite.

• The Generational Divide: 59% of us say that events are a priority expense, but people of all ages are now more keenly aware of extra attendance-related costs outside of the ticket itself. While Gen Z are throwing caution to the wind (more Gen Z’ers say they’ll cut costs elsewhere to buy tickets) and those over 40 seem to have the cash to splash on tickets, our “middle child” Millennials are feeling the pinch – grappling with the need to balance event spending with other financial responsibilities.

• FOSO (Fear of the Sell Out) - our survey showed that FOSO is a stronger motivator than getting cheaper tickets in presales and when it comes to predicting what will sell out. And when they get it wrong, they turn to resale - 71% of resale ticket purchases are made by people trying to attend sold out events.

• A Savvier Consumer: A whopping 96% of respondents said they feel that they’re able to predict sell outs with some level of confidence, which is creating a self-feeding cycle of events that are booming and those that are lagging behind in sales. Consumers shift between ‘Early Bird’ and ‘Commitaphobe’ buyer personas dependent on this hype.

• Early Birds vs. Last-Minute Buyers: The most prevalent ticket buying “persona” was again the Early Bird, with 42% of us saying that we identify with buying early the most. However, consumers still seem to be buying tickets later on average — 1/3rd of event goers reported purchasing tickets later than before). One thing was clear as we think about encouraging more early birds to act — having options for resale is helping to boost (early) buyer confidence: over two thirds (66%) of respondents said they’re more inclined to buy a ticket if they know they can resell it later.

• The Steady Rise of BNPL: More people are interested in buying now, paying later. While more than 50% of people are still unmotivated to buy early by Buy Now Pay Later options, there was a significant jump in the last 12 months in those saying it's attractive (from 27% –> 38%).

• It’s in the Stars: This year we took a fun spin into how the different star signs event-go, and well, all we’ll share is that yes, Virgos remain the most organised and conscientious (and love a comedy show), Aquarians love music, arts and theatre, and Scorpios proved themselves to be the dark horse that keeps you guessing.

The inaugural All Options Open - Ticketing State of Play report, released one year ago, fast became a go-to resource for hundreds of professionals working across the business of live entertainment as we all struggled to wrap our heads around a vastly different consumer, post-COVID, and a swarm of shows and incoming international acts never seen before. We welcome anyone working in the business of live entertainment, ticketing, music, sports, the arts, and beyond to download this free resource, Big Ticket Items — Ticketing State of Play

Report methodology
Tixel and Bolster surveyed over 3,800 event goers in September 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, including an independent control group from Lucid that was used to extract any bias from the main survey group. They also conducted in-depth consumer interviews, as well as interviewing key music industry experts — Michael Christidis (Untitled Group), Seth Clancy (Oztix), Matt Gudinski (Mushroom Group), Emma Thornton (Secret Sounds), Nathan Thompson (Live Nation), and Nicole Smith, Ashlee Thompson and Carina Shearn (RISING).

Bolster is a culmination of a love of music and entertainment, and a curious passion for data and tech. Founded in 2015, Bolster has delivered digital solutions to some of Australia’s most loved events and festivals including Splendour In The Grass, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, Groovin The Moo, Spilt Milk, MIFF and Sydney Film Festival. It also helps brands meaningfully integrate into culture, building out campaigns and strategies for clients including YouTube, KFC, EA Games, Tourism NT, Bacardi Martini Australia, and more. Bolster Group also includes experiential and commercial rights agency Aeroplane, Northern Territory creative agency Going North, and leading arts and entertainment PR agency Common State. 

Tixel is a marketplace for tickets to the hottest events. Tixel effortlessly handles transactions between fans in a safe and honest manner, helping to get more people to the shows, festivals and matches they love. Founded in Australia in 2018, partners include leading festivals and promoters such as Australian Grand Prix, Beyond the Valley, Rising: Melbourne, Strawberry Fields, Superstruct UK Festivals, and Corner Hotel, artists such as The Teskey Brothers and Tame Impala, and primary ticketing platforms Eventbrite, Humanitix, and Oztix. Investors include Alberts Impact Capital, Future Classic, Galileo Ventures, I OH YOU, Rose Avenue and UNIFIED Music Group.