For millennials, gigs about ‘more than the music’

Gig-going remains one of the most popular activities for young people in the UK, but 18–34-year-olds are seeing live music for different reasons to the previous generation, new data suggests.

Compared to generation-Xers (35–45-year-olds), millennials (18–34s) have a “stronger moral compass”, according to a new survey by Eventbrite, placing a greater emphasis on events and artists that align with their own beliefs and values.

According to the survey – conducted in partnership with research agency Crowd DNA – nearly half (49%) of millennials have attended a live music event in the past 12 months. However, “unlike gen X,” says Eventbrite, “millennials treat live events as a form of self-expression [and] self-improvement” – with 69% saying they see attending a show as “the best way to show other people what they stand for” (compared to 59% of gen-Xers) and 78% more likely to attend a festival featuring artists who are “affecting positive change through their music” (compared to 69% of gen-Xers).

Additionally, 20% of millennials have in the past year attended an event specifically billed as supporting a particular cause.

“Attending live music events as a form of self-expression is very much a millennial trait”

“Millennials and gen X both attend live music events to escape day-to-day reality and connect with like minded people, but it’s millennials who have a stronger moral compass: three quarters choose music events which align to their own beliefs and values, and 78% attend to express support for the artist’s beliefs and values,” reads the survey, which had a sample audience of British adults aged 18 to 45.

“Attending live music events as a form of self-expression is very much a millennial trait, it was found, and artists who promote positive change are more appealing for millennials.”

The new research follows a similar Eventbrite survey of millennials in the US, which concluded that “the current political climate is driving a deep desire for Americans to connect with each other, their communities and the world, and that they see live events as an incredible way to do that”.

Eventbrite, the world’s largest self-service ticketing platform, acquired Ticketfly from Pandora for US$200m earlier this month.

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