Take That’s This Life On Tour nears 1m sales
Take That manager Chris Dempsey has given IQ the lowdown on the group’s successful return to touring with one of the biggest outings of their career.
The trio – Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen – kicked off the This Life On Tour at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on 13 April, following a prolonged period of rehearsals at LH2 near London, with more than 80 shows scheduled before the end of 2024.
“There are a whole maelstrom of emotions on the opening night of a big tour – nerves, anticipation, anxiety – but there was also a nice degree of confidence as well, and a really feel good vibe in the camp ahead of the show, so it was a good weekend and a great first couple of shows,” says YMU’s Dempsey.
“As you know Take That shows are very production heavy, with many creatives feeding into an overarching concept. But this time the development of the music and the production went hand in hand, meaning we spent longer in LH2 than we would have normally, before having four or five days in the arena in Sheffield ahead of time, as well. I think everyone preferred that way of developing the show, rather than get the setlist down in a rehearsal studio, then bringing in the production to fit around it.”
“They had the biggest domestic album of last year; and now they have the biggest selling UK artist tour this year”
With This Life hitting both indoor arenas and outdoor stadiums on its 41 UK dates, the scale of that production is set to change across the 15 British cities the tour is visiting between now and June, before it then heads to continental Europe.
“When I sat down with the boys just over a year ago, and we were all talking about what success would look like, they really had a desire to get out to some new markets, as well as some markets that they’ve not been to a decade or more,” says Dempsey, noting that a number of those destinations are yet to be announced.
“In the UK, Take That probably can’t get too much bigger, so they’re just overjoyed that they get to go and put these big shows into arenas and stadiums. But internationally, we’re going to go to some new places and there will be different kinds of shows that we’ll do there, because the boys still have that ambition and drive. That’s the exciting thing: they’re in their 50s and they had the biggest domestic album of last year; and now they have the biggest selling UK artist tour this year with 700,000 tickets sold.
“They’re also doing their own festival in Malta, which is exciting, so on the international front we’ve got an exciting year ahead of us.”
With 700,000 tickets sold for the UK leg alone, Dempsey notes that total tour sales are closing in on one million tickets
With UTA taking over agency duties for the band last year, Dempsey says the choice of which new markets they should include on the tour, which will visit Australasia and Asia later this year, was helped by fan data from those territories.
“If you’re going to go to new places, you need some data to give you a level of comfort, and to try to evaluate that opportunity,” he notes. “But sometimes data doesn’t cover everything, and it might boil down to the enthusiasm of a local promoter, or simply if we can make something work routing wise.”
Among the highlights on the current UK tour leg will be six nights at The O2 in London, seven dates at the new Co-op Live arena in Manchester, and they become the first band to play four nights at Leeds’ first direct arena. The tour comes off the back of their ninth studio album, This Life, which was the biggest-selling album from a UK artist in 2023.
Noting that the band’s fanbase continues to evolve, Dempsey reports that the early shows have seen many fans bringing along their kids. “And I think I’ve seen more blokes at the shows as well. But there are definitely a lot of young people, so it’s a real range – the real original fans from the 90s; and the people who discovered the band from when they reformed in 2006 – they’re bringing their kids, they’re bringing their parents, they’re bringing their husbands, so it’s pretty broad.”
With 700,000 tickets sold for the UK leg alone, Dempsey notes that total tour sales are closing in on one million tickets. “Let’s see how we go, but Europe sales are strong. On the last European tour, for example, we didn’t play any shows in Spain, and now we’re playing seven. Germany has been incredible; Ireland is stronger than ever with two arenas and three big outdoors; we did a show in Denmark last summer, and now we’re doing two this summer.”
He adds: “This tour shows the sort of level of ambition and commitment that Gary, Howard and Mark still have. They’re going to playing over 80 shows this year, which is the most amount they’ve ever done in their career, and they’re still looking to grow the fanbase in new markets. Now we just have to go out and deliver on that.”
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Take That announce four-day festival in Malta
Take That are set to curate and headline a new four-day festival in Malta called The Greatest Weekend.
The 17–20 October event has been touted as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to see the band perform in an intimate live setting, with an array of special guests.
The 90s boy band, comprising Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, will deliver two different headline sets during the Greatest Weekend.
On Saturday night, the trio will perform their iconic album ‘Everything Changes’ live in its entirety for the first time since its release in 1993, while Sunday will see the band hit the stage for a set of smash-hits from across their chart-topping career, as well as songs from their latest Number 1 album, ‘This Life’.
The weekend will also feature performances from acts including Sugababes, Sam Ryder, Daniel Bedingfield, Ella Henderson, Gok Wan and Heather Small.
Sugababes, Sam Ryder, Daniel Bedingfield Ella Henderson, Gok Wan and Heather Small will also perform
The four-day weekend, which takes place across multiple venues, will kick off on Thursday with an opening party hosted by Guilty Pleasures.
General admission tickets start at £249 (€290), with VIP tickets priced from £429 (€500).
Take That are represented by James Wright and Olly Ward at UTA, who recently told IQ about their ambitions and touring strategy for the British icons.
This Life on Tour kicks off in the UK in Sheffield on 13 April, promoted by SJM Concerts, and includes six nights at The O2 in London, six at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and seven shows at Manchester’s new Co-op Live, as well as multiple dates in Leeds and Dublin, with support from Olly Murs.
It will also take in stadiums in Middlesbrough, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Norwich, Bletchley, Southampton, Plymouth, Swansea and Bristol, followed by outdoor concerts in Cork, Dublin and Belfast.
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ILMC 36: The Agency Business
Leading agents offered an upbeat overview of the agency trade in 2024 and pondered the future of the model in the annual ILMC panel on the sector.
The Agency Business 2024 panel chair Anna Sjölund was joined by guest speakers Bex Wedlake (One Fiinix Live), Brian Ahern (WME), Tom Schroeder (Wasserman Music) and James Wright (UTA) to debate a range of topics.
“The great thing after the pandemic, [Brexit], and the general inflation of costs, we’re still having a strong touring business. The difficulty is costs, be that for artists, promoters or venue operators,” said Wright.
Asked how it was to be an agent in 2024, Schroeder said, “I bloody love it. I don’t disagree that there are problems, but they’re a bit like a jigsaw that we have to work out and I really enjoy that challenge. The fact is that artists are a lot more involved in their careers these days, and that makes things fun.
“The rules have changed and some historic templates have [been discontinued], and because social media plays such a big part in things now, artists have to be a lot more involved in their career and decisions about their career, so I truly believe this is the best time I’ve had in my career.”
“The appetite for live music is bigger and better than ever before”
Wedlake noted, “The appetite for live music is bigger and better than ever before, and there’s a bigger emphasis on women in music and LGBTQ issues, led by the artists, and it’s amazing to witness that levelling of the [playing field] and the evolution of our job. There’s no one-size-fits-all for either clients or us as agents, so the fact that big corporations and independent operations can happily co-exist is pretty healthy.
Ahern agreed, commenting, “I believe our company can provide a competitive advantage to our clients, but there are also bands and artists who simply want to tour, and therefore being at another agency is a better fit for them. I have a lot of respect for the indie agents and what they do – thankfully there is enough work for all of us.”
Discussing the reality of global deals, Wright revealed that he had chosen a lower offer for one of his clients because a higher offer would have meant unrealistic ticket prices for that act’s fans. And talking about the changing role of the agent, Schroeder said that while 15 years ago his job involved booking gigs, “What was 90% of my job is now just 10%, as I spend a lot more time working on strategy and creativity. And the best thing is I don’t know how I will be doing things in 18 months because the business keeps changing and I think the industry is all the better for it.”
Schroeder courted controversy by stating that grassroots venues were no longer a part of the ecosystem for his roster of clients, although he acknowledged their importance. But Wedlake responded, “We all have a responsibility to feed back into the grassroots sector – that’s why I’m a proponent of using independent promoters.” She added, “My job as an agent is to ferret out promoters who understand my artists and with whom we can grow sensibly, slowly and creatively.”
Addressing concerns about agents signing too many acts to their rosters, Wright said, “We are opportunistic, but we have to believe in the artists we sign. It’s complicated and it’s hard work, but we don’t get paid straight away, so belief is a big part of it.”
“We need promoters to help us get to a point where touring becomes financially sustainable”
Underlining that point, Schroeder revealed that he has been working with Raye for eight years – “Six and a half years were a real slog, but I always had that belief and I stuck with her.”
Turning the discussion to the different ways in which agencies operate, Sjölund asked Ahern about WME’s territorial model, leading Ahern to dismiss some of the myths about the practice.
“We don’t simply hand off to someone who does not know what they are doing. We engage experts who have knowledge about specific markets, or who speak the local language, and who can advise me as the agent who can then use that information to make a decision. But the person who presents the artist always has that direct relationship – if I do not have that direct contact with my artist, I get fired.”
Schroeder also underlined the importance of the promoter in planning career strategies for artists. “If we choose a promoter that we trust, why would we not want their opinion in a meeting with the artist and management? They are the well informed gamblers that we rely on.”
He concluded, “We need promoters to help us get to a point where touring becomes financially sustainable.”
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UTA duo reveal Take That touring masterplan
UTA agents James Wright and Olly Ward have spoken to IQ about their ambitions and touring strategy for British pop icons Take That.
The duo began working with the beloved group – Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen – last year, and have a huge year planned ahead.
This Life on Tour kicks off in the UK in Sheffield on 13 April, promoted by SJM Concerts, and includes six nights at The O2 in London, six at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and seven shows at Manchester’s new Co-op Live, as well as multiple dates in Leeds and Dublin, with support from Olly Murs.
It will also take in stadiums in Middlesbrough, Nottingham, West Bridgford, Norwich, Bletchley, Southampton, Plymouth, Swansea and Bristol, followed by outdoor concerts in Cork, Dublin and Belfast.
“I think it’s fair to say that anyone in the industry would bite their arm off to work with Take That”
“I think it’s fair to say that anyone in the industry would bite their arm off to work with Take That,” says Wright. “We have great existing relationships with their manager Chris Dempsey and SJM, so when the opportunity arose to work with them and we got to know Gary, Howard and Mark as well, it felt like a great fit from the off.
“Take That’s legendary status in popular culture, as well as their enduring prominence and value to the music industry over the years made this such an enticing prospect.”
The band, who were previously represented by Wasserman Music, were joined by original members Robbie Williams and Jason Orange on their 2011 Progress Tour, which sold more than 1.8 million tickets to become the biggest in UK history. Barlow, Donald and Owen have continued as a trio since Williams returned to his solo career and Orange retired from the spotlight ten years ago.
Their 2024 European tour, which is being staged in support of their ninth studio album This Life, will go on to visit Germany, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Portugal in June/July. A slate of dates in Australia and New Zealand have also been added for October/November.
“When it comes to touring, the band are hard working, committed and eager to break new ground”
“The new album is something special, such a positive record that adds to their impressive catalogue of hits, and feel like the group are in a great place right now,” adds Ward.
Here, Wright and Ward delve further into their plans for the group both at home and abroad…
What can you bring to a legendary band like Take That at this stage of their career?
OW: “From our initial meetings, it didn’t take long to establish a multitude of tangible things that we could bring to the project, and add to the wider narrative as they build into their fourth decade together. It also became clear that UTA are best placed to deliver the band’s creative and business ambitions; to represent them as a band and as individuals.”
JW: “As a band we can really service them well at UTA, and given the various interests of Gary, Howard and Mark our full service agency can add value to them all as artists at every turn, and we can help craft their careers across a range of industries. When it comes to touring, the band are hard working, committed and eager to break new ground. Our team is here to realise an ambitious creative strategy which is driven by the band and management as much as us, to take them into new territories and explore their global reach.”
OW: “UTA is truly global, so this is something we know how to drive forward and deliver in terms of touring. Then we have the full breadth of our departments, including but not limited to Music Brands Partnerships, Corporate and Private Events, Music Marketing, Music Crossover, IQ, UTA Foundation and Ventures, which are already bringing exciting conversations and opportunities to the table.”
“We’ve detected particular demand from German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese-speaking countries”
What is the strategy behind their upcoming tour?
OW: “There’s been unprecedented demand for the upcoming This Life on Tour, with same-day sell outs and new dates added to the UK run, which now has 41 arena and stadium dates in 17 cities. Plus we have 20 dates in eight European countries already announced, including two countries the band have never been to before.”
What are your plans for the group internationally?
JW: “Using the data and analytics of UTA IQ we’ve identified audiences for Take That in places they didn’t believe they existed. By pairing this incredible tool with the experience of the team we’re quickly building valuable insights into new primary markets. For example, digging deeper than streaming and social media metrics, we’ve detected particular demand from German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese-speaking countries. Given they hadn’t visited places like Spain since the 2010’s, the strategy is to build in those burgeoning territories and more. There’s a whole host of new countries for us to explore, which we’ll be announcing in 2024.”
OW: “Gary recently visited Australia to announce their Australian tour for the end of the year to a great reaction, and we have Sophie Ellis-Bextor as main support.”
What sort of demand are you seeing and how does their popularity abroad compare with the UK?
JW: “Domestically, they are as popular as ever – the new album saw the strongest week one sales of any British act in 2023 as it landed at No.1 – and what is especially exciting to see is the growing popularity around the world and the potential that brings.”
Ultimately, what do you hope to achieve with the band?
OW: “Take That possesses a curiosity and genuine appetite, and UTA are here to match it. We want to see the biggest and best shows of their career, open doors globally and help inspire the next step in Take That’s incredible career. The band are excited about the prospect of reaching such significant new audiences for the first time, and we want to nurture that growth and sustain the enthusiasm. Whilst we’re excited and proud of how the new team have hit the ground running with these major announcements for 2024, we’re already plotting years beyond that. There’s a long term vision at UTA for all the members of Take That which we can’t want to see unfold.”
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Kylie Minogue signs with UTA for US & Canada
UTA has signed pop icon Kylie Minogue for live representation in the US and Canada, and acting worldwide.
The Australian singer has sold more than 80 million records worldwide over the course of her career, racking up five billion streams and nine UK No. 1 albums. She is the only female artist to score a No. 1 album and top 10 singles in five consecutive decades in the UK.
Minogue won the inaugural Grammy for best pop dance recording for her viral smash Padam Padam at this month’s awards.
It was also revealed today that the 55-year-old will receive the BRIT Global Icon Award and perform at this year’s BRIT Awards at The O2 in London on 2 March. Dua Lipa and Raye have also been confirmed for the ceremony.
“Her music is fun. Her spirit is absolutely infectious. And she’s at the top of her game”
The BRITs Icon is the highest accolade given by the BRIT Awards, with previous winners being Elton John, Robbie Williams, David Bowie and Taylor Swift.
Minogue is currently performing her maiden Vegas residency at The Venetian Resort’s new 1,000-seat venue, Voltaire. Launched in November, the sold-out More Than Just a Residency show will extend through May.
“Everything about Kylie reflects the essence of Voltaire,” said show producer Michael Gruber. “Her music is fun. Her spirit is absolutely infectious. And she’s at the top of her game, which makes this a truly special moment for fans to connect in such an intimate environment.”
Minogue, who is represented by CAA for the rest of the world, is managed by Polly Bhowmik of A&P Artist Management.
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ESNS 2024: Touring heads unpick ‘new normal’
Leading European live executives have advised that ticket pricing is “more important than ever” as the business navigates its current challenges.
The subject was pored over during today’s Touring In ’24: Are There Bumps In The Road? session at the Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) conference in Groningen, the Netherlands.
Moderated by IQ MD Greg Parmley, the panel featured agents Beckie Sugden of CAA and UTA’s Carlos Abreu, as well as Mojo Concerts head promoter Kim Bloem and FKP Scorpio CEO Stephan Thanscheidt.
Netherlands-based Bloem reported the market appeared in rude health at all levels from her viewpoint.
“Tickets are flying out,” said Bloem. “It’s not just the blockbuster shows, it’s the club shows too. We’re not struggling.”
Thanscheidt, who is based out of Germany and is also FKP’s head of festival booking, painted an overall positive if more mixed picture.
“We have so many artists touring. But there are also shows that are not doing so well. It depends on demographics, genre and level of act”
“As a company, we don’t have a problem,” he said. “We have so many artists touring. But there are also shows that are not doing so well. It depends on demographics, genre and level of act.”
Sugden, whose roster includes artists such as Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, GloRilla, Noname, Chronixx, implied it was a constant work in progress.
“It’s a supply and demand market,” she said. “As agents, we have to make sure artists aren’t touring too much. And they’re going to other regions. It’s a constantly changing and dynamic market.”
Thanscheidt argued that show calculations were “more challenging and complicated than before”, triggering a debate around the impact of rising costs on ticket prices.
“Getting ticket prices right is more important than ever,” stressed Abreu, who works with the likes of Rosalía, Bad Bunny, Anitta, Morad, Tokischa and Ayra Starr. “There are also creative ways to structure deals with artists who are looking to do meet and greets or VIP packages, etc. You have to understand the demographic you’re selling to.”
Sugden said it was necessary to analyse the market “with forensic detail and check that your ticket prices are competitive”.
“It’s the perfect storm. Everyone’s prices are increasing”
“VIP doesn’t work in every market, so you have to know what works for each market,” she added. “It’s the perfect storm. Everyone’s prices are increasing. But actually with K-pop fans, they’re willing to stick their hands in their pockets. In times of crisis, people want to be entertained.”
Bloem felt the business has been “timid” regarding raising ticket prices in the past and felt the present level of demand indicated there was room for an increase.
“Given how fast tickets are selling, I think we can increase,” she said. “We added €30 to festival tickets this year, but festival tickets can’t be pushed too quickly.”
“This is a real problem,” advised Thanscheidt. “We had sold out festivals but the margins were complete shit. It’s getting better now but you still see festivals struggling.
“Ticket prices are at the limit. Some festivals overpriced and had only 70/80% of their usual audience, which German promoters know is terrible.”
The conversation then turned to dynamic pricing, with Abreu noting it had become “the norm” in the US. “It’s the way the world is going.” he added.
“We have to think differently about how we approach first steps for artists”
Thanscheidt appeared open-minded about the prospect, but pointed out that the European industry was still some way behind its US counterpart in terms of adoption. “I think it will take time but all sauces that can add to the pot,” he said.
In closing, the panellists shared their thoughts on keeping tickets affordable for fans. Thanscheidt brought up the concept of ‘social tickets’, where a small portion of tickets are available to unwaged citizens for a lower price.
“I had a show recently where the artist did a collection after the concert and the artist ended up tripling the guarantee,” responded Sugden. “We’re getting more creative. We’ve got to keep creative with the club scene. We have to think differently about how we approach first steps for artists.”
Abreu added that some artists could afford to do underplays to “give back” to their fans, but accepted it wasn’t always possible.
“We need to think in career terms for artists,” he concluded. “Not just ‘what do we want to make on this next tour’. It’s about where are we going to be in five years.”
ESNS, which recently appointed Anna van Nunen as its new general manager, wraps up its 2024 edition tomorrow. The event also featured the 2023 European Festival Awards. Check out the winners here.
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Julian Jacobs to lead UTA’s New York office
Julian Jacobs, a longtime UTA executive who has helped the firm expand into entertainment marketing, will lead the agency’s New York office, effective March.
Jacobs takes over from Allan Haldeman, a partner and co-head of TV Lit, who has led New York operations with 300 staffers since September of 2022.
Haldeman is expected to continue his work with TV Lit while co-heading Theatre and will travel between New York and Los Angeles.
Jacobs, also a UTA partner, will continue his entertainment marketing efforts, which include brand consulting for several New York-based clients.
“Jacobs will build on the momentum of expanding opportunities for our clients, our people, and our business”
His team includes more than 40 executives who work in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and London. Clients include Amazon, Ancestry.com, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, General Motors, Google, Hulu, Hyatt, LinkedIn and Lyft.
UTA played a key role in helping General Motors devise two standout Super Bowl commercials in 2022 that featured Michael Myers and Sopranos creator David Chase. Last year, the agency helped pair GM and Netflix in a single ad that featured actor Will Ferrell and the streamer’s popular TV series Squid Game.
“We are grateful to Allan Haldeman, who, along with our New York leadership team, have expanded and heightened UTA’s presence in this global centre of entertainment, culture and business,” says David Kramer, UTA’s president, in a statement. “With Allan’s return to the West Coast, I am excited that our partner Julian Jacobs will be taking on the role and building on the momentum of expanding opportunities for our clients, our people, and our business.”
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Christina Aguilera signs with UTA worldwide
Christina Aguilera has signed with UTA for worldwide representation.
The pop icon joins a roster that includes the likes of Lil Wayne, Post Malone, Karol G, Jonas Brothers and Guns N’ Roses.
The news comes shortly after Aguilera kicked off her latest Las Vegas residency at the Voltaire Belle de Nuit at The Venetian Resort.
The Grammy Award-winning artist has sold over 75 million records worldwide. On Spotify, she has nearly 31 million monthly listeners and on YouTube, she has nearly six million subscribers.
The Grammy Award-winning artist has sold over 75 million records worldwide
Aguilera has charted 30 songs on the Hot 100, including five No. 1 hits. On the Billboard 200, she’s scored two No. 1 albums (her 1999 self-titled debut and her 2006 album Back To Basics).
In 2022, she released her ninth and latest album, Aguilera, which was composed of two EPs: La Fuerza and La Tormenta. It arrived via Sony Music Latin and marked her second Spanish language album following Mi Reflejo in 2000.
Beyond music, Aguilera is an advocate and entrepreneur. She has served as a global spokesperson for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort, raising over $150 million for the cause.
She has also helped raise awareness around domestic violence and also LGBTQ+ equality and won the Advocate for Change Award at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards. Her recent ventures include co-founding the sexual wellness lifestyle brand Playground.
She continues to be represented by Roc Nation and imPRint.
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Latin star Karol G plans debut European tour
Colombian reggaeton superstar Karol G has announced her long-awaited European tour debut, bringing Mañana Será Bonito (Tomorrow Will Be Nice) to arenas and stadiums across the continent.
The 10-date outing, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on 8 June 2024 at Hallenstadion (cap. 15,000) in Zurich, Switzerland.
Stops include Cologne, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Milan, Antwerp, Berlin and Lisbon, with the tour closing at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (65,000) in Madrid, Spain, on 20 July.
The European leg will follow her 27-date trek across 14 cities in Latin America, which stretches from 8 February to 10 May.
The announcement comes at the end of a historic year that saw the singer-songwriter gross $145 million with 843,000 tickets sold in just 18 shows. She also became the first female artist to reach #1 on Billboard Top 200 with a Spanish-language album.
At the end of last year, some of the biggest executives in the Latin music industry placed their bets on Karol G breaking through on an international level this year.
The 32-year-old, whose real name is Carolina Giraldo Navarro, is represented worldwide by Jbeau Lewis and Ryan Soroka at UTA.
Tomorrow Will Be Nice 2024 European Tour Dates:
08 June 2024 Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion
11 June 2024 Cologne, Germany Lanxess Arena
June 14, 2024 Amsterdam, Netherlands Ziggo Dome
18 June 2024 London, UK The O2
22 June 2024 Paris, France Accor Arena
25 June 2024 Milan, Italy Milan Forum
June 29, 2024 Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis
02 July 2024 Berlin, Germany Mercedes-Benz Arena
07 July 2024 Lisbon, Portugal Altice Arena
20 July 2024 Madrid, Spain Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
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UTA report breaks down live music’s resurgence
Millennials are driving live music’s post-pandemic resurgence, according to a new report by UTA and Variety VIP+.
The Peak Performance study combines Billboard and Pollstar data with a survey of more than 4,000 US consumers – including 1,500 active live music attendees – aged 15-69 about their concert and festival attendance from August 2022-23.
Ticket sales are forecast to hit a record $9.5 billion (€9bn) by the end of 2023 and as high as $10.5bn by 2027, as per PwC.
“Our desire to do this study was spurred by the anecdotal evidence we were seeing from our own music representation and music brand partnerships business,” Joe Kessler, UTA partner and global head of UTA IQ tells Billboard.
The report found that 49% of millennial (ages 26-41) respondents had been to a gig in the past 12 months – more than any other generation – compared to 42% of Gen Z (15-25), 32% of Gen X (42-57) and 24% of Boomers (58-69). It was a similar story at festivals, which enticed 39% of millennials, 32% Gen Z, 20% Gen X and 12% Boomers.
“As the economy improves and [millennials] have more disposable spending, I think we’re going to see a continued rise in the desire to want to see live shows,” says Kessler.
Concerts were the most well-attended live entertainment events for all 15-69-year-old consumers, with 36% of respondents having attended at least one show during the 12-month period.
“No one can know how long it will last, but I don’t think this is a temporary blip on the map”
Repeat attendance was strong, with 79% saying they had seen the same artist more than once and 59% having seen the same act at least four times. One in two millennials and one in three people overall have seen an artist more than once on the same tour.
The list of the top 5 events was rounded off by food or beverage festival (32%), professional sporting event (29%) and music festival (26%), with a total of 30% of participants saying they had travelled to another country specifically for a live music event.
The most attended shows by genre were rock/metal/punk, pop, hip-hop/rap and country, while the cost of ticket prices was put forward as the number one barrier for why consumers who hadn’t recently attended. Nevertheless, one in five people said they would be willing to spend more than $500 on a ticket.
In addition, 34% of survey participants said attending live music had become more important to them since the pandemic, with 73% saying they have been to just as many, if not more, concerts post-Covid.
“No one can know how long it will last, but I don’t think this is a temporary blip on the map,” concludes Kessler. “The data that came through the study tells us that, this is here to stay for the foreseeable future.”
Finally, 51% of 15-69 consumers said they anticipated attending a gig over the next 12 months.
“With all the headlines around live music’s triumphant return post-pandemic, UTA IQ sought to elucidate fans’ habits, behaviours, and preferences around these experiences to inspire the industry’s continued success,” reads a UTA statement. “And as we look ahead, the future appears bright. With half of live music fans expressing a desire to increase their concert attendance in the year ahead, the vibrancy of live music remains a testament to its place in the hearts of fans.”
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