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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Live entertainment is not a main budget priority
- Graph 1: top budget priorities in 2025 besides essentials (eg food, rent) (any rank), 2025
- Out-of-home entertainment impacts identity formation
- US consumers’ interests in a nutshell
- Graph 2: general interests, 2025
- Age and gender immensely impact interests
- Graph 3: general interests, by age, 2025
- Graph 4: general interests, by gender, 2025
- The Taylor Swift effect
- Madison Square Garden: from Andrea Bocelli to Kesha
- Market size and forecast
- Times are tight and live entertainment’s growth is dampened
- Retail sales and forecast of live entertainment
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Paid live event attendance in past year
- Music events top the list
- Graph 5: events paid to attend in past year, 2025
- Live podcasts can be polarizing to listeners
- While concerts still lead, 2025 looks a lot different than 2018
- Graph 6: events paid to attend in past year, 2018 vs 2025
- The impact of age is undeniable
- Graph 7: events paid to attend in past year (select), by age, 2025
- Younger consumers have more diverse event interests
- Graph 8: number of types of live events paid to attend in past 12 months, by age, 2025
- Income and financial situation define Americans’ options
- Graph 9: events paid to attend in the past year, by household income, 2025
- Graph 10: events paid to attend in the past year (select), by household financial situation, 2025
- Rural Americans aren’t buying it
- People go to what they like, plain and simple
- Graph 11: events paid to attend in the past year, by consumers’ interests, 2025
- Ticket purchasing
- A third of Americans prefer to buy in advance
- Consumers like to buy direct
- Graph 12: live event ticket purchasing avenue, by type of event, 2025
- Types of events attended impact ticket purchasing avenues
- Graph 13: live event ticket purchasing avenue, by type of event (NET), 2025
- Older consumers aren’t trusting ticket resale websites
- Graph 14: “I don’t trust ticket resale websites (eg Stubhub)” (% agree), by age, 2025
- On-premise purchases
- The majority of attendees buy something onsite
- Graph 15: typically purchases food, alcoholic beverages, non alcoholic beverages, and/or merchandise while at live events, 2025
- Different events elicit different purchasing patterns
- Graph 16: typically purchases food, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and/or merchandise at live events, by type of event attended (NET), 2025
- Not all events are made for eating
- Graph 17: typically purchases food at live events, 2025
- Taking home a piece of the event
- Graph 18: typically purchases merchandise at live events, 2025
- More consumers are buying alcoholic beverages than non-alcoholic ones
- Graph 19: typically purchases alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic at live events, by type of event attended, 2025
- Men are down to drink at more places than women
- Graph 20: typically purchases alcoholic beverages at select live events, by gender, 2025
- Customs are changing among younger (and middle-aged) consumers at the theater
- Graph 21: typically purchases alcoholic beverages at musical theater and non-musical theater shows, by age, 2025
- Sometimes, cost doesn’t matter
- Discovering live events
- The impact of social media on live event discovery is staggering
- Social media’s dominance is clear
- Graph 22: ways of typically finding out about live events, 2025
- Avenues of discovery are determined by one’s age
- Graph 23: ways of typically finding out about live events (select), by age, 2025
- Younger women eagerly look to artists’ social media posts for inspo
- Traditional media’s reach is concentrated among households in better financial situations
- Graph 24: typically finds out about live events via cable/satellite TV ad or newspaper, by household financial status, 2025
- Concerns around live events
- Attending live events is prohibitively expensive
- …but younger men are less fussed about cost
- Graph 25: live events have become too expensive to attend regularly (% agree), by age and gender, 2025
- Midwesterners are extra concerned about price
- Graph 26: live events have become too expensive to attend regularly (% agree), by region lived, 2025
- Urbanites are more willing to shell out
- Graph 27: live events have become too expensive to attend regularly (% agree), by area lived, 2025
- The importance of accessibility and logistics is evident
- Logistics can prove to be too challenging for many
- Accessibility is essential
- Don’t underestimate the value of safety and security at events
- Making women feel safer
- Graph 28: attitudes toward safety at live events (% agree), by gender, 2025
- Attitudes toward amenities, extras and VIP perks
- Amazing amenities help clinch the deal
- A quarter of Americans are willing to shell out for special treatment
- Treat me like a VIP
- Attitudes toward live entertainment
- Taking kids to events can be challenging
- Events are more than just events
- Younger Americans consider live events part of who they are
- Graph 29: attitudes toward live events (% agree), by age, 2025
- Ethnographic vignette: what would you do to go to Coachella?
- Not everyone feels like going out
- Only a third of consumers are content with the live entertainment near them…
- …but rural consumers clearly are least satisfied
- Graph 30: “I am satisfied with the availability of live entertainment in my area” (% agree), by area lived, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Harefest is a hell of a time
- W PRESENTS live music
- Touring sustainably
- Limited quantity of injectable donuts
- OOH Bar Checkouts for Shakira
- Eventbrite’s bright new design
- Squid Game rave
- Spotify encourages event and artist discovery
- Not feeling salty about The Salt Shed
- Put away your phone and enjoy the show
- The future of sports, entertainment and live event venues is green
- The world’s first Zero Carbon Certified arena
- Earbuds designed just for Coachella
- Marketing and advertising
- T-Mobile takes on Stagecoach
- Making Cowboy Carter a bigger experience
- Periods happen…even at Coachella
- 7-Eleven partners with Live Nation
- No one likes to be next to body odor at a festival
- Stubhub becomes ATG’s official resale partner
- Liquid I.V. takes on festivals in the cold
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- US: total retail sales and forecast of live entertainment, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2019-29
US Live Entertainment Market Analysis
The US live entertainment market saw a sharp decline from 2019 to 2020 due to the pandemic but rebounded to a significant value by 2024.
Despite this recovery, growth remains slow because of inflation, tariffs, and economic uncertainty limiting discretionary spending. Live entertainment is often considered a non-essential expense, competing with priorities like savings and vacations. The Live events market size is forecasted to grow modestly to nearly $50 billion, with an average annual growth around 1% expected in the foreseeable future. This reflects a stable yet cautious Live Events market that will rely on innovation, affordability, and digital strategies to sustain consumer engagement and broaden access.
US Live Entertainment Market Trends
Consumers in the US Live Events Market increasingly discover live events through social media, especially younger and middle-aged groups, while older audiences still rely on traditional media. Concerts and festivals remain the most popular events, but interest is rising in comedy, theater, and fan conventions, mainly among younger people. Despite higher ticket prices, many consumers continue spending on food, drinks, and merchandise at events. Safety and affordability are important concerns, with nearly half the consumers finding live entertainment too costly for regular attendance, fueling demand for virtual options and more accessible experiences. These Live Entertainment Market trends highlight shifting consumer priorities and opportunities for growth.
Purchasing the US Live Entertainment Market Report 2025 offers key insights into consumer behavior and market trends. It helps organizers understand attendance, ticket buying habits, and on-site spending. The report highlights opportunities in digital marketing, safety, and event diversity to boost engagement and growth.
About The Report
The US Live Entertainment Market Report 2025 delivers comprehensive insights into consumer preferences, market dynamics, and emerging trends shaping the industry. It covers key areas such as event attendance patterns, ticket purchasing behaviors, spending on food, beverages, and merchandise, as well as discovery channels and safety concerns. The research draws on data from a broad demographic of US consumers, segmented by age, income, location, and interests to provide a detailed understanding of audience behavior. This report is valuable for event organizers, venues, marketers, ticket distributors, and brands seeking to optimize strategies, improve customer engagement, and capitalize on growth opportunities in the evolving Live Events market and broader Live Entertainment Market.
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- Technological advancements reshaping live entertainment
- Rising operational costs impacting event accessibility
- The role of social media in event discovery
- Safety and security concerns among attendees
- Economic uncertainty affecting discretionary spending
- The importance of sustainability in live events
- Changes in consumer behavior and preferences
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Candace Baldassarre. At Mintel since 2022, Candace writes reports across Food and Drink, Tech and Media, and Lifestyles and Retail. Candace received her Master of Arts degree in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her graduate research informed ESG strategy for digital experiences, marketing and content at TD bank.
Download Report SummaryAmid concerns around rising costs of living, consumers are not necessarily prioritizing live entertainment in their household budgets. For many of those who do, however, live events are not just events but a defining part of their personality.
Candace Baldassarre
Senior Analyst
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