Equal pay has been named the top accelerator for gender equality by women working in the international live music business.

With International Women’s Day taking place tomorrow (8 March) under the theme of Accelerate Action, IQ asked executives to name one thing that would make the industry a more equitable environment for women.

“To create a more equitable industry for women, equal pay is essential—without it, there is little incentive to stay or advance,” says Jana Posth, festival director of Rock am Ring in Germany.

Rauha Kyyrö, FKP Scorpio’s co-president of touring & artist development, reiterated the sentiment, adding: “Regardless of an employee’s gender, the industry should pay equal wages.”

But as many executives pointed out, transparency around salaries is the first step to eradicating the gender pay gap. Wasserman Music’s Flo Noseda says that this should start early in the process, when companies are advertising a position.

“Let’s see who’s really delivering progress and who’s delivering rhetoric”

“[Adverts] that say “competitive” or “DOE” usually means “underpaid” and when there is no gauge at all it can waste people’s time and mean that people (especially women) can be underpaid from the offset,” she tells IQ.

One Finiix Live’s Jess Kinn would like the transparency to go a step further, with companies forced to publish everything from policies to promotions.

“I’d like to see a body with teeth – like the DCMS – survey the top 50 music companies in the UK with questions about how their gender equality policies are actually working in practice eg: What proportion of your promotions went to women in the last year? What proportion of your leadership team are women? What are you doing to encourage women into the industry? Make the results public, then we can really see who’s delivering progress and who’s delivering rhetoric.”

Having spent the majority of her career as “the only woman in certain rooms,” ASM Global’s Anna Sjölund has called for better representation in the boardroom.

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception,” she said, quoting Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late American lawyer and fierce advocate for gender equality and women’s rights.

“Stop defining us by our gender e.g. a female agent”

“In our industry there are still plenty of rooms where the women are the exception and the ones that have the power to change that are the men in majority,” she continues. “If you never leave your seat – no one else gets the chance to fill it.”

Sam Oldham, venue director at The O2, agrees but warns companies that it’s not enough to just have token representation at the table. “Actively seek out diverse perspectives. Make a concerted effort to ensure all voices are heard and provide a safe space to do so, in which minorities feel comfortable coming forward with their views.”

As Ticketmaster’s Sarah Slater points out, the board room isn’t the only place that women’s voices and ideas should be heard and praised. “Hype women up—especially when they’re not in the room. Create space for their voices where they’re often overlooked. Amplify their work, share opportunities, and make sure they get the recognition they deserve. No gatekeeping—just lifting each other higher.”

CAA agent Beckie Sugden, meanwhile, is keen to remind the industry that colloquial language plays a key role in gender equality.

“Stop defining us by our gender e.g. a female agent etc,” she says. “I’ve never heard anyone say male agent before so why is this defining tag necessary for women? In my example I am an agent that happens to be a woman not a female agent! I have to check myself on this also as it so deeply entrenched in how we talk about ourselves and women in general. Until the language and narrative, we use daily changes nothing will change. The tags reinforce us as second class citizens on so many levels!”

“Pay us equally, respect our boundaries, and stop expecting us to do your admin!”

As Mojo’s Kim Bloem underscored in her Q&A, flexible hours and working conditions are crucial components for women juggling a career and motherhood.

Roundhouse’s Lucy Wood echoes this sentiment, adding: “I think it would be a great thing for organisations to adopt a policy of allowing parents to expense evening/night care costs, in my case this would be covering babysitting while I’m out at gigs, but could be for anyone with caring responsibilities more generally.”

LIVE’s Gaby Cartwright, meanwhile, says that raising awareness among individuals who do not menstruate or experience menopause is crucial to making the industry a more equitable environment.

“It’s important to highlight how menstruation and menopause can significantly impact both the day-to-day lives and professional experiences of individuals in the workplace, especially within the industry,” she tells IQ. “By fostering this understanding, we can create more supportive and inclusive environments that accommodate the needs of all employees.”

Put simply by Raven Twigg, ASM Global: “Pay us equally, respect our boundaries, and stop expecting us to do your admin!”

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India is set to gain its first-ever women-only festival called Sonic Tigress later this month.

The one-day event, launched by media entrepreneur Darshan M, will take place at Phoenix Marketcity in Bangalore on 29 March with performances from several renowned female artists from the country.

Acts set to perform include Sukriti and Prakriti Kakar, Nikhita Gandhi, Aditi Mittal, Wild Wild Women, Meg and the Miracles, Tipriti Kharbangar & Chie Nishkori and Niveditha Ode Linda.

“We live in a world where acronyms like DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) are thrown around a lot, but in reality nothing has changed at the ground level,” Darshan told local press. “Women are still fighting for opportunities. So the whole thought behind this festival is not to give women a seat at someone else’s table, but to build a full table just for them. Sonic Tigress isn’t about inclusion; it’s about owning the stage.

“We live in a world where acronyms like DEI are thrown around a lot, but in reality nothing has changed at the ground level”

“I have personally been to too many events where I witnessed drunk men harass women, and I hope Sonic Tigress would be the beginning of a new experience for women who just want to be able to enjoy themselves without unwanted attention.”

Darshan and his team have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that the festival is 100% women, even asking performing artists to rework the band lineup. “Artists have been very accommodating of our idea and intention,” he said. “Additionally, we will make sure all the support staff, usher, hosts and even security guards are all women. We have also requested the police to provide women constables.”

In addition to music, Sonic Tigress will feature interactive installations, immersive spaces where technology and artistry meet and homegrown boutique brands.

Tickets for the festival are split across three categories: general admission Rs 999 (€10), fan pit Rs 4999 (€53) and VIP Rs 9999 (€105).

Female-focused festivals have popped up around the globe in the last decade, from Brandi Carlile’s annual Girls Just Wanna Weekend gathering in Mexico to Ocesa’s newly launched Hera HSBC in Mexico and All Thing’s Go increasingly popular Washington DC event.

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Olivia Rodrigo delivered the largest concert of her career on Saturday night during the Philippines stop of her arena outing, the Guts World Tour.

The Filipina-American singer delivered a sold-out show to the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor arena located 30 km (18.6 mi) outside of the capital city of Manila.

The 21-year-old plans to donate all profits from the concert – her first in the Philippines – to Jhpiego, an international nonprofit organisation providing healthcare for women and families.

The Johns Hopkins University-affiliated initiative provides access to reproductive healthcare, infectious disease prevention, and immunizations, operating across more than 40 countries including the Philippines.

“I’m SO stoked that all the net ticket sales from last night could be donated to @jhpiego through my fund 4 good,” Rodrigo wrote on Instagram. “I got to visit the organization while I was in Manila and was so impressed by the work they are doing providing healthcare to women and girls in the Philippines.”

“It was the most special show and the most meaningful trip. To say I’m grateful doesn’t even cut it! Mahal kita [I love you].”

Tickets for the show were sold for PHP 1,500 (£20/$25), with all net proceeds allocated to Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good, a global initiative to boost women and girls through “direct support of community-based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights and prevent gender-based violence”. The reduced ticket price supported her Silver Star programme to increase affordability and access to the tour while sustaining the Fund 4 Good.

“It was the most special show and the most meaningful trip. To say I’m grateful doesn’t even cut it”

Launching the initiative alongside last year’s tour announcement, Rodrigo has aided local organisations throughout the 99-date venture, which is due to end with eight shows across Melbourne and Syndey later this month. The former Disney actress has partnered with the National Network of Abortion Funds in North America, 600 Canadian women’s shelters, and Women Against Violence Europe across her regional tour legs.

While the arena tour will end this year, Rodrigo is lined up to headline four Latin American festivals in March 2025: Lollapalooza Argentina, Brazil, and Chile and Colombia’s Festival Estéreo Picnic.

The Guts World Tour will soon be visiting homes worldwide as Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour is set to debut on Netflix on 29 October. The concert film was recorded across two performances at Los Angeles’ newest arena, the 18,000-capacity Intuit Dome, in August. The LA-based songwriter performed six nights in LA, with four shows at the Kia Forum (18,000).

“I am so excited to share the Guts World Tour with my fans,” Rodrigo said. “For those of you who didn’t get a chance to rock out in-person, now you can have the best seats in the house! And to the fans who cheered, screamed, and danced with me, I am so glad we get to do it all over again!”

The Live Nation-promoted trek has traversed North America, Europe, and Asia, and will hit Australia on Wednesday (9 October). The singer-songwriter released her critically acclaimed second album GUTS last September, with its support tour beginning in February at Palm Spring’s Acrisure Arena (11,680).

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If you want to get a sense of representation on the road, award nominations are one place to look. As many of the interviewees for this feature excitedly pointed out, women dominate certain categories on the shortlist for this year’s TPI Awards. For the Tour Manager of the Year Award, five out of six nominees are women.

“That’s pretty huge,” says nominee Rebecca Travis, who has been tour manager for artists including James Blake, Gorillaz, Ellie Goulding, Florence and the Machine, and Arcade Fire.“I’ve been getting nominated for that kind of award quite a few times, and it’s generally one or two women in that category,” she adds.

Marguerite Nguyen, longtime tour manager for Coldplay, and another one of the five female nominees, says the tour manager shortlist reflects a growing trend. “Tour managers are increasingly female,” she tells IQ from her home in Chicago. “I think women are better at this role, just like I think men are better at other roles on the road. My theory is that women are better multitaskers than men. Plus, there’s probably a little bit of motherly care to how we operate.”

Travis attests: “I do believe that women have perhaps a more caring, nurturing, motherly sort of way with them, and they might be more thoughtful about things like eating and health and mental wellbeing.”

While female representation among tour managers is strong, unfortunately, it’s not reflective of gender balance in the wider production industry – especially when it comes to technical departments.

“It’s always been the ‘merch girl’ or the ‘sound guy'”

“The highest representation I’ve seen is ten women on a crew of 50 people,” says Laura Nagtegaal, a guitar technician and tour manager who has been working in the industry for 30 years. “And when it comes to the backline, I’m a unicorn.”

Travis, whose industry career has spanned 25 years, has also noticed a gender divide when it comes to different touring disciplines: “Wardrobe, catering, management, assistant roles, are female-dominated, and accountants, and tour managers are well-represernted, but I struggle to think of many female production managers.”

On the other side of the production industry is Ginger Owl, a female-led company dealing in event management, accreditation, logistics, and advancing. “We advance lots of festivals and still, primarily, our main contacts are men – especially the technical and production roles,” says Julie Chennells. “You can count on one hand the ladies you see in the lighting industry, for example. We tend to see them more in logistics and sectors like in accreditation.

“I wouldn’t like to comment whether it’s society pushing women that way or if it’s because they don’t have the opportunities or if it’s indeed because they’re just not that interested in that side. It’s a very difficult question and debate. But if you look at the touring industry, it’s a microcosm of the world.”

Nagtegaal points out, gender inequality across roles has long been ingrained in ways we might not even realise: “It’s always been the ‘merch girl’ or the ‘sound guy.’”

“There are more women than I had ever witnessed on any other tour”

In a league of their own
It may not come as a surprise that one of the acts setting the bar for diversity among touring crews is Coldplay, a band that has been industry-leading in more ways than one.

Marguerite Nguyen started touring with the British icons in 2008 on the Viva La Vida tour as the production coordinator, before getting promoted to tour manager for Mylo Xyloto.

“I remember one day, we were walking the band offstage, and I saw a sea of women surrounding the band as they were walking back to the dressing room,” she recalls of her early days with the band. “There are more women than I had ever witnessed on any other tour – and it’s by no means a requirement of employment,” she says.

Coldplay’s team comprises more than 40 women and, what’s more notable than that, is the roles they take up on the crew: from head carpenter to Chris Martin’s personal security officer.

Travis, who was recently drafted into the Coldplay crew by Nguyen, says Coldplay are peerless when it comes to the gender balance of crew. “There are women everywhere on that team,” she says. “The technical departments are really well represented but that’s because the band make a real conscious effort to do that. They have programmes and apprenticeships, and it’s great because the band is huge, and they have the budget. But I think genuinely it just stems from the fact that the band wants to work with women.”

“There are women everywhere on [the Coldplay] team”

But as Travis knows from previous experiences, some artists are willing to hire more women in their crew but are not able to do so for a range of reasons, including the shortage of staff post-Covid.

“If you were only recruiting two or three new crew, ideally you would like to be diverse but really you’re just trying to get the very best people,” says Travis. “And actually, after Covid, sometimes you’re sometimes just trying to get people [full stop].”

Like any industry, hiring practices are crucial to end up with a diverse workforce. So who are the people in charge of staffing a tour?

“Tours are mostly staffed when you come onto them,” explains Travis. “If you’ve got a tour manager and a production manager and you’ve been touring a while, they’ll have people they’ve been working with for years.”

Although Nguyen hired Travis, she tells IQ that she rarely has a hand in recruitment, but when she does, “I try to choose the person who has the best skill set for that position.”

Travis, if in the position to staff a tour, would also hire based on merit: “There is definitely a sisterhood, but I wouldn’t hire a woman over a man unless they were as or better qualified.”

“We probably attract women because we are female directors”

Ginger Owl’s Julie Chennells and Nancy Skipper are two women who are in the position to hire and, incidentally, have a female-dominated team. “The management team is all female. We’ve got ten full-time staff and only three of them are male. This is not through choice but through choosing the people who are right to do the job,” says Skipper.

However, she admits that being a female-led company is a draw for female candidates hoping to work in the industry –underlining the importance of visibility and representation.

“We probably attract women because we are female directors. Quite often we read that in emails – that’s something that’s drawn them to apply.”

But if, as these women say, hiring in the industry is a meritocracy, it begs the question why women aren’t represented across the board. Is it because they’re underqualified or is it because they’re not applying for certain positions in the first place – perhaps because they can’t see other women in certain positions?

“The music industry is the only industry that hasn’t been affected by the MeToo movement”

An unfair fight
The thing with meritocracy is that it only works if the playing field is even to start with and, as these women tell IQ, sexism and misogyny are alive and well in the industry. “I don’t know any woman that hasn’t encountered sexism and misogyny. No matter how big or how small or how innocent or how extreme,” says Nguyen.

“The music industry is the only industry that hasn’t been affected by the MeToo movement,” she adds. A recent survey by Women In Live Music (WILM) found that 41% feel that they don’t belong to the music industry because they are women. Respondents comprised 187 women from 26 different countries.

Laura Nagtegaal, who is a transgender woman, has a unique perspective on sexism in the industry, having presented as a man for the first chunk of her career before transitioning. “[Before transitioning] I would typically work ten to 20 events a month, and it doesn’t happen anymore,” she says. “If I ever had a situation where I reached the end of my money before the end of the month, all I would need to do is ask anyone in the industry and before I could even finish the sentence, I would have multiple job offers.”

“It makes me think what if I [was never] good but because I presented as a bloke, I was just one of the guys, and guys can’t fail to [get to] the top.”

“It’s common knowledge in every industry that women always get paid less than men”

Even the women that do manage to progress through the industry’s meritocracy are still not getting the same rewards or recognition as their male counterparts.

“It’s common knowledge in every industry that women always get paid less than men,” says Nguyen.“It’s a very touchy subject with women, but I think that we should not be scared to talk about salaries and money. We should be asking each other ‘Hey, what did you get on this tour? Or ‘What should I ask for?’ Or ‘I really think I deserve a raise.’ I definitely don’t think men are having those kinds of conversations.”

Nobody puts baby in a corner
Another possible reason for the lack of female representation within touring crews, especially in some of the leading positions, is the difficulty of having children and maintaining a career on the road.

WILM, a European platform and online community for women in live music with more than 7,000 users, has long been investigating the impact – perceived and proven – of motherhood on women’s careers.

“We noticed over the years that women on-stage and offstage would hide their pregnancy if they were expecting, out of fear of losing jobs,” says WILM co-founder Malle Kaas.

“I think most people give up the industry if they have kids”

“We heard many women saying they would postpone having children as they couldn’t see themselves having kids and keep working in the live music industry.”

Nguyen can testify to this: “I have always wanted to have children. When I was 36, I froze my eggs as an insurance policy for my future because I just didn’t know what was going to happen.

“If I choose to have a baby, I can’t do my job. It’s just a fact, and it sucks. And I know that I’m not done doing what I’m doing. I know women who are on the road who have children, and it’s super difficult. I think women instinctively have a guilt of being away.”

“I wish there was a better system for all women in every spectrum of the world and their careers. For women on the road, particularly, it is more difficult.”

Travis says this is true for women in the tour manager roles because of the nature of the job. “Sometimes people ask me if I’ve got kids and I say, ‘When would that have happened? Where are they when I’m out here?’” she laughs. “A tour management job is all-encompassing. If you were a monitor engineer or a lighting operator, and you had a partner with a job that would allow them to look after the child, you could go away for a week or two, but as a tour manager, there’s no way you could do that. I think most people give up the industry if they have kids.”

“I felt like I couldn’t be seen to be incapable because I was pregnant otherwise, people would stop giving me work”

Chennells, who has children of her own, adds: “I do think it’s another reason that [this industry] could be more off-putting to someone.”

The Ginger Owl boss remembers the pressure she felt to plough on with her work both before and after she gave birth, due to a lack of infrastructure for pregnant women – especially those that are freelance.

“I worked as a promoter rep until I was around eight months pregnant,” she says. “I felt like I couldn’t be seen to be incapable because I was pregnant otherwise, people would stop giving me work. You feel like you have to plough on to not be out of the circuit.”

Chennells returned to her first event when her daughter was two and a half months old: “I’d still been breastfeeding her and stuff, and I remember having to express in a PolyJohn [toilet] because there was just no other way. That’s just how it was, there are no provisions for stuff like that.”

By the same token
In other industries, those in charge of hiring have deployed positive discrimination when it comes to hiring, as a means to diversify the workforce, but the live music industry has mixed opinions.

“There are positive and negative sides to [positive discrimination],” says Laura Nagtegaal. “For instance, one band likes to book me because I’m Polish.”

But as she points out, there’s a difference between positive discrimination and tokenism. “One band, as I found out later, received an extra subsidy from the government for hiring a transgender person,” she says. “So that felt so much worse than tokenism, that felt like being used. Tokenism makes you second guess yourself – it creates imposter syndrome.”

“People see me on stage and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, I can do this, too.'”

Imposter syndrome seems to be prevalent among women in the industry – possibly for that reason. In the aforementioned WILM survey, 44% of respondents said that, in general, they feel less confident than their male colleagues.

But Nagtegaal points out that despite the intention when it comes to hiring women, the result is often positive. “By hiring me, the numbers actually go up, there’s more representation,” she says. “People see me on stage and they’re like, ‘Oh my god, I can do this, too.’ People literally come up to me after the show and say, ‘I didn’t know women could do this.’”

Travis says that being part of a minority has proved to be an advantage when it comes to getting hired for a job: “There’s less of you, therefore you stand out more.”

On the flip side, Chennells argues: “I do think it can be quite intimidating still to go into a very male-orientated sector like the audio or the lighting crew.”

Levelling the playing field
When WILM launched seven years ago to increase the representation of women backstage, the co-founders hoped it wouldn’t be needed for more than six months.

“We were so wrong!” says Kaas. “The need for WILM gets bigger every year, and we are looking at six to seven more years of work as we try to keep up with the huge demand for our community.”

“I just want women to have the same opportunities as men”

In an industry that continues to be dominated by men, there are many improvements to be made for women – from equal pay to better support for mothers – but the women are keen to point out that there are some fundamental issues that needs to be addressed first.

“One thing is to introduce and recruit women to the industry, another thing is to retain them,” says Kaas. “It takes about three to five years of training to get a competent person who can do the gig. But the majority of women dropout of the industry after three to four years for whatever reason. If we don’t find solutions to retain the women in the industry, we’ll keep on losing them and not really getting anywhere.”

Put simply by Nguyen: “I just want women to have the same opportunities as men. It would be nice to have an even playing field for everybody, no matter how you identify.”

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The Argentinian government has implemented a new law that dictates that women must make up at least 30% of the line-up for festivals and other live music events.

The so-called “female quota” (cupo femenino), which will be implemented early next year, is the result of a two-year campaign by over 700 Argentinian musicians to obtain more gender parity at live music events.

The law aims to “achieve effective inclusion of women in live music by means of positive discrimination” and is thought to be the first of its kind in the world.

Organisers failing to comply with the quota will face a fine of up to 6% of the overall takings of the event. The ruling applies to any live music event consisting of three acts or more.

“From now on, access to the stage for women working in music is going to be fairer”

Approved by the senate in May, the law was pushed through the Argentinian chamber of deputies in November, with 133 votes in favour, five against and six abstentions. Argentina’s National Music Institute (Inamu) is responsible for ensuring festivals comply with the quota.

According to Daniel Filmus, president of the Argentinian Chamber of Deputies’ Culture Commission, the law is “an enormous conquest” that “has helped the advancement towards furthering the rights of women in music”.

Senator Anabel Fernández Sagasti, one of the principal supporters of the law, commented that “from now on, access to the stage for women working in music is going to be fairer”, thanking “all the women that make up the music scene” for their “tireless fight”.

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Spanish association Women in the Music Industry (Mujeres de la Industria de la Música – MIM) has appointed a new board of directors on the third year from its inauguration.

Carmen Zapata, manager of the Catalan Concert Venues Association (Associació de Sales de Concerts de Catalunya), will stay on as MIM president.

Primavera Pro director Almudena Heredero takes on the role of vice president and treasurer, with Patricia Gabeiras, founder of law firm Gabeiras & Associates, will serve as secretary.

Additional new board members are Ticketmaster’s Celia Carrillo, Anxela Baltar of punk two-piece Bala and I Wanna management, Herminia Martínez of Palosanto agency, Maca Arena of Spanish promoters’ organisation APMusicales, Mar Rojo, who programmes Madrid venue El Sol, and Violeta Hernández, founder of live agency La Suite.

Launched in 2016, MIM provides a platform for female music professionals to gain more visibility and works on ways to address the gender imbalance within all sectors of the industry. MIM was last year’s recipient of Primavera Sound’s Primavera Award.

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Live Nation Urban has announced the launch of Femme It Forward, a multi-format series of all-female curated line-ups, spotlighting the women of the entertainment industry, both on stage and behind the scenes.

The events series will see a host of live shows by legacy artists and emerging acts including Cardi B, City Girls, Jorja Smith, Ari Lennox, Jill Smith, Teyana Taylor and Mahalia, with more to be announced.

The multi-market initiative will also include immersive activations, panel discussions and comedy shows.

“Since our inception in 2017, Live Nation Urban continues to create opportunities for emerging and established urban artists – both on the stage and behind the scenes,” says Heather Lowery, Live Nation Urban vice president of talent and touring.

“It is fitting that we honour the future of music and its continued steps on the path to inclusion”

“This past year has been an exceptional one for women in music and entertainment, and with the incredible contributions of women, it is fitting that we honour the future of music and its continued steps on the path to inclusion,” adds Lowery, who will chair the Black Women in the C-Suite panel, held at the Broccoli City festival on April 26.

Live Nation Urban focuses specifically on hip-hop, R&B and gospel, putting on events including Broccoli City festival in Washington and Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic festival. The company is headed by Shawn Gee, a founding member of management consortium Maverick and manager of hip-hop group the Roots.

Tickets go on sale for the inaugural event series on Friday 19 April at 10 a.m. EST, exclusively on the Live Nation website.

All Femme It Forward shows will donate a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to charitable organisations that support the advancement of women.

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Data presented by online statistics portal, Statista, has shown that women generated the majority of traffic to ticketing sites on the first day of ticket sales for a variety of high-profile world tours.

Female fans drove around 73% of traffic to Vivid Seats on the morning that tickets went on sale for K-pop group BTS’ first world stadium tour, Love Yourself: Speak Yourself.

The band sold out five major stadiums across the United States and Europe, including the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles (90,888-cap.), London’s Wembley Stadium (90,000-cap.) and the Stade de France in Paris (80,000-cap.).

Women generated an even higher percentage of traffic for Ariana Grande’s Sweetener world tour (75%), which sees the star perform across Europe and North America.

Female fans also drove more traffic to ticketing pages for Ed Sheeran’s ÷ world tour (64%), Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour and Drake’s Aubrey and the 3 Migos tour.

Only for the Rolling Stones No Filter tour did men have a bigger presence on the ticketing site than women, driving 56% of the traffic.

The data corresponds with information collected by event discovery guide and ticketing outlet, Skiddle, that shows women now buy 13% more live event tickets than men.

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New data collected by event discovery guide and ticketing outlet, Skiddle, has revealed that women are buying record numbers of tickets to live music events.

Traditionally, men have been the predominant buyers of tickets to live music events. However, over the past five years, women have grown their market share of overall ticket sales by 22%, with females purchasing on average 13% more live event tickets than men.

The ticketing outlet revealed that women are most dominant in the festival ticket-buying arena. Last year, women bought 65% more music festival tickets than men, an increase by more than a third from the year before.

“An increase in the number of women at live music events can only be a positive thing for music”

Skiddle suggests that a move towards more equal representation on stage, as well as initiatives like Safe Gigs For Women and Girls Against have contributed to the increase in female buyers.

Victoria Bamber, head of campaigns at Skiddle, says the data is “incredibly encouraging”.

“An increase in the number of women at live music events can only be a positive thing for music,” said Bamber.

“Efforts are being made to diversify both on stage and behind the scenes, and it appears that this messaging is filtering through to female music fans who are growing in confidence and making a real impact across gigs, club nights and festivals UK wide.”

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