The Canadian out-of-home (OOH) entertainment market is shaped by various economic and demographic factors with cost being the most significant barrier to participation. Financial concerns driven by rising living costs and unemployment impact consumers’ discretionary spending on leisure activities. Despite these challenges there is a noteworthy interest in OOH activities particularly among younger and middle-aged men. The report highlights diverse interests such as TV series, food, sports and cultural events which signal opportunities for themed events and partnerships across industries. Social media plays a pivotal role in event discovery with younger and financially strained individuals relying heavily on these platforms. Newcomers to Canada are more engaged in OOH activities driven by motivations to explore and integrate into their communities. Canada’s OOH entertainment landscape is as diverse as the nation itself.
This report looks at the following areas:
- What types of OOH (out-of-home) events and activities Canadians are doing and plan to do
- Where consumers are spending their money and attitudes around event purchases (ie VIP tickets, concessions, merch)
- What motivates consumers to attend OOH events
- What barriers and concerns impede OOH activities
- Attitudes toward limited-time and influencer-hosted OOH events
Canadian OOH entertainment thrives on immersive experiences, value-driven offerings and innovation, overcoming economic challenges to deliver memorable moments that captivate diverse, cost-conscious audiences.
Candace Baldassarre, Senior Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
- What consumers want & why
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THE MARKET
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Economic Snapshot
- Concerns around costs and tariffs affect future consumption patterns
- Graph 1: concerns (NET), 2025
- Canadian consumers’ interests in a nutshell
- Graph 2: general interests, 2025
- Age and gender immensely impact interests
- Graph 3: general interests, by gender, 2025
- Graph 4: general interests, by age, 2025
- Madison Square Garden: from Andrea Bocelli to Kesha
- The Taylor Swift effect
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Past and future OOH actitivies
- Consumers are aspirational
- Graph 5: types of OOH activities done in past 12 months and/or planning on doing in future, 2025
- Consumers are aspirational
- Not all activities have the same levels of retention
- Graph 6: percent of those who plan to do each OOH activity among those who have done each in the past 12 months, 2025
- Younger (and middle-aged) men drive OOH attendance, both past and future
- Appealing to younger men
- Tech-based and video gaming see growth during otherwise stagnant times
- Graph 7: has visited and/or plans on visiting tech-based immersive attractions, 2024 vs 2025
- Graph 8: has done and/or plans on doing OOH video gaming, 2024 vs 2025
- Younger and middle-aged men engaging in more OOH activities
- Graph 9: participated in 8+ OOH activities in the past 12 months, 2025
- Newcomers are feeling adventurous
- Paid live event attendance
- Canadians are especially willing to pay for sporting events and concerts
- Graph 10: live events paid to attend in past 12 months, 2025
- Consumers are attending more than they are paying for
- Age and gender are impacting paid attendance to concerts
- Graph 11: paid to attend a concert (excluding festivals) among those who attended, by gender, 2025
- Graph 12: paid to attend a concert (excluding festivals) among those who attended, by age, 2025
- Opportunities for growth on the West coast
- Graph 13: have paid to attend a live event in the past 12 months, by region, 2025
- Motivations for attending OOH entertainment
- People just want to have fun
- Graph 14: motivations for attending OOH entertainment events, 2025
- 18-44 year olds are excited to share their experiences over social media
- Newcomers’ motivations differ from those of established Canadians
- Graph 15: motivations for attending OOH entertainment events (select), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2025
- Ontario and Quebec stand apart from the pack
- Graph 16: motivations for attending OOH entertainment events (select), by region, 2025
- Parents are keen to expand their horizons
- Urbanites are willing to open themselves up to new people and experiences
- Graph 17: motivations for attending OOH entertainment events (select), by area lived, 2025
- OOH event discovery
- Social media’s dominance in OOH event discovery is undeniable
- Graph 18: ways of discovering OOH entertainment events, 2025
- Age is everything when it comes to event discovery
- Graph 19: typically finds out about OOH entertainment events via social media vs traditional media (NET), by age, 2025
- Newcomers are not new to social media
- Graph 20: typically finds out about OOH entertainment events via social media, overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2025
- Barriers to attending OOH events
- A multitude of barriers stand in the way of OOH event attendance
- Graph 21: attitudes toward OOH events (% agree), 2025
- Cost curbs consumers’ plans for OOH entertainment
- Graph 22: barriers to attending OOH entertainment events, 2025
- Women’s budgetary concerns are palpable
- Graph 23: cost is a barrier to attending OOH entertainment events, by age and gender, 2025
- Parents’ priorities differ from the rest of consumers’
- Crowds and safety concerns bog down newcomers and multicultural consumers
- Graph 24: dislike of crowds and lines and/or health and safety concerns are barriers to attending OOH entertainment events, by race, 2025
- Limited options beleaguer rural and Atlantic Canadians
- Graph 25: limited options in my area are a barrier to attending OOH entertainment events, by area lived, 2025
- OOH event purchases
- Food and drink options excite the majority of consumers
- Graph 26: attitudes toward OOH entertainment (% agree), 2025
- Men are willing to shell out
- Newcomers and multicultural Canadians are willing to spend to make the experience memorable
- Graph 27: attitudes toward OOH entertainment (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2025
- $70K: the tipping point for premium pricing
- Parents prioritize additional purchases and premium seating
- Graph 28: attitudes toward OOH entertainment (% agree), overall vs parents, 2025
- OOH special event interest
- Catering to families is a clear win
- Blink and they’re gone: the value of limited-time OOH entertainment
- Younger men’s inclination toward influencers
- Graph 29: “I would be interested in attending an influencer-hosted event” (% agree), by age and gender, 2025
- Newcomers are attracted to novelty
- Graph 30: attitudes toward OOH entertainment (% agree), overall vs consumers living in Canada for less than five years, 2025
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COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Cineplex encourages regular theatre visits
- Earbuds designed just for Coachella
- Destination Vancouver entices travellers with its AR experience
- Eventbrite’s bright new design
- Limited quantity of injectable donuts
- Spotify encourages event and artist discovery
- Netflix’s strategy brings major events into the living room
- Put away your phone and enjoy the show
- Touring sustainably
- Snapchat brings Versailles to life
- Cineplex offers free refills
- Leveraging tech within the Rogers Arena
- Bringing Snow White to life at Casa Loma
- NFL foccuses on personalized content and UGC
- MLSE pilots its Fan Access program
- Disney introduces virtual concessions
- Arcadia Earth creates an immersive OOH experience
- North American theatres make a big investment to catch up with consumer attitudes
- Who doesn’t love the COC?
- Candlelight concerts
- Marketing and advertising
- See Yourself at the Opera
- Periods happen…even at Coachella
- 7-Eleven partners with Live Nation
- No one likes to be next to body odor at a festival
- Gaming is for the girls, too
- Liquid I.V. takes on festivals in the cold
- TSOundcheck encourages younger Canadians to enjoy the arts
- Canada Soccer leverages the World Cup
- Netflix and AB InBev partner
- Canada’s fierce hockey fandom
- Making soccer sweeter
- Loonie Dog World Champs
- BNPL makes Veld more attractive
- Uber teams up with A Minecraft Movie
- Amex harnesses F1 craze
- Concert Confidence with Excel
- Liquid I.V. multiplies hydration at Grand Prix
- Celebrating grassroots soccer and hydration…and Messi
- Tate McRae partners with Neutrogena at Canadian concerts
- TikTok partners with Tomorrowland
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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