A range of new factors are impacting recovery

This article highlights the October 2022 Live Attendance findings from the Audience Outlook Monitor.

While audiences are enjoying the buzz of more events?—?with 75% attending in-person arts experiences right now?—?financial reasons are now the top barrier to attendance, surpassing the risk of the virus.?

Head to the website for the October 2022 Live Attendance Update, which dives into the latest insights gathered from our survey of over 5,400 arts attendees. Find out more about audience confidence, spending levels in light of the rising cost of living, re-entry anxiety and the appetite for innovation.

Audiences are enjoying the buzz of more events, but financial barriers are slowing market recovery

• Gradual improvements in confidence are evident in the October 2022 data from 5,438 past attendees. 71% say they are ‘ready to attend now’ or whenever permitted, up from 65% in August and 59% in March 2022.
• Audiences are feeling positive about attending events right now, with qualitative data showing many are enjoying more choice and ‘buzz’ in their areas. 3 in 4 (75%) attended a cultural event in the fortnight before data collection (12-16 October 2022), consistent with August 2022 (76%) and higher than March 2022 (70%).
• Attendance frequency is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. For instance, 44% of performing arts attendees are attending less often than they used to, and 52% are attending about the same amount.
• Spending levels are not increasing. The proportion spending over $50 on arts and culture in the past fortnight (63%) is consistent with March and August 2022 – with the rising costs of living now playing a role in purchasing decisions.
• Full recovery will take time. While most audiences are feeling confident and many are optimistic about increasing their attendance in future, new barriers are emerging related to economic factors and lifestyle changes.

Audience behaviour continues to evolve in line with lifestyle changes and 6 in 10 are seeking new experiences

• ?Gradual increases in attendances are likely, with half of audiences (51%) saying they expect to attend more often in the next year. However, the situation is complex and some are perceiving a lack of appealing events available (32%) or are prioritising other things in their lives at the moment (24%).
• Price sensitivity may increase, as financial reasons have now overtaken the virus as the main barrier to attendance. Financial barriers are now affecting 40% of audiences, up from 24% in August 2022. It’s likely to be a bumpy ride, with factors like re-entry anxiety and lacking energy to go out also impacting decisions.
• Last-minute ticket purchases are here to stay, with August 2022 data revealing most audience members book events within the next seven days (26%) and the next 2-3 weeks (43%).
• Scheduling preferences are changing for 1 in 5 audience members whether it’s the time, day or location of events. Pandemic lifestyle changes – like flexible work and regional migration – are taking root and venues will likely be feeling the effects in their areas.
• People continue to favour their local area (65%) or region (45%) when attending the arts, but many are excited for the return of touring and want to see variety in their communities.
• There is an appetite for new (58%), uplifting (73%) and challenging cultural experiences (42%) — so balanced programs are key. Audiences under 35 are the most likely to want to try new things (74%), confirming the case for innovation for this important group.

4 in 10 participate in the arts online and virtual opportunities have become a vital form of accessibility

• ?Online channels continue have an elevated importance for connecting with audiences.
• Digital marketing is paramount for live events and 83% of audiences are using online channels, such as e-newsletters (55%), websites (54%), Facebook (24%) and online search (11%) to find out what’s on.
• Participation in online cultural activities is stable. 4 in 10 audience members (41%) participated in some kind of online arts recently, such as pre-recorded video (21%), online classes/tutorials (18%) and live streamed performances (14%), stable with March 2022 (42%).
• Spending on digital activities is steady, in line with stability in cultural spending overall: 33% paid for an activity in the fortnight before data collection, consistent with 34% in March 2022. Among those paying, 39% spent over $50 (down from 44% in March 2022).
• Online cultural participation is highest among audiences aged 75+ (44% participating online), audiences who are vulnerable to COVID-19 (47%), audiences with a disability (49%) and those who are more cautious about the risk of the virus (46%) – confirming digital events as a form of accessibility.
• Most audiences continue to see a role for digital, with the proportion saying that these experiences continue to ‘play some role’ in their life – though this has declined slightly since March 2022 (68%, down from 73%).
• Audiences appreciate the value of digital programs in overcoming barriers to live attendance – a topic that will be explored in detail in an upcoming Fact Sheet and set of case studies.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Head to the?online dashboard?to explore the data in detail. Look out for our Fact Sheet on audience accessibility in November?—?but for now, try out the 'Disability Y/N' filter to view attendance patterns among disabled audiences.

Up next: Incoming publications

Keep an eye out in November for our state/territory snapshots, breaking down the insights by location. We'll also be releasing a fact sheet about access and inclusion at cultural events.?Stay tuned!