Danish ticket buyers buck post-Covid trends

The majority of Danish ticket buyers make their purchase when sales start, according to a new survey, bucking a post-Covid trend of fans buying at the last minute.

This stat was revealed in a newly published survey of 15,929 ticket buyers, conducted in summer 2023 by Ticketmaster and Dansk Live.

It found that 55% of respondents purchase tickets to concerts as soon as they go on sale, while 24% do so a few months before the concert and 15% answered “as soon as I can afford it”.

For festivals, 34% buy their ticket 10-12 months beforehand, 24% said less than six months prior, 21% said between 6–9 months ahead and another 21% said the same week as the event.

“The reality of the individual organisers is of course very different, as is their audience. Still, it is interesting to see the overall results,” says Esben Marcher, director of Dansk Live.

“It surprises me, for example, that so many people buy tickets when the tickets become available”

“It surprises me, for example, that so many people buy tickets when the tickets become available. It nuances a trend that many in the music world have noticed, namely that the audience in the post-corona period generally bought their tickets much later than before the corona.”

The survey also found that 53% of respondents deemed the current price level for events as “too expensive,” though 87% said they were willing to pay extra for their ticket to get the best seat.

The majority (64%) said that the economic situation (mid-2023) does not hugely impact their consumption of live events.

For event discovery, the survey found that Facebook and Instagram are the most used social media platforms.

Over half of the ticket buyers surveyed attend one-three concerts a year. More than half (58%) of respondents are women and 41% men.

“The survey is interesting for everyone who organises concerts, festivals and other events,” says Marcher. “A nuanced look at the audience’s habits is always welcome, and with the many responses, the survey provides new, broad knowledge that can help the organisers better target potential ticket buyers. At Dansk Live, we are pleased with Ticketmaster’s work with the survey, and we have started planning a comprehensive audience survey.”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.