Growing Australian demand for music festivals fuelled by “hardcore festies”

The world’s largest self-service ticketing platform, Eventbrite has partnered with research firm MusicWatch for a new study on festival attendance across Australia, US, UK and Canada.

Despite festival promoters lamenting to TMN that it is “tough out there”, Australians’ demand for music festivals continues to grow.

What’s driving it is the superfan (or “hardcore festie”), an element of attendees whose passion for music incorporates a greater amount of such events, spend more, and will even travel long distances (even overseas) to get their festival fix.

The Eventbrite study showed general festival attendance held strong in Australia, with 65% going to the same number in 2016 compared to last year, and 49% planning to attend more in 2017.

The study surveyed 2,000 18-49 year olds who had attended at least one music festival in the past 12 months.

On average, Australian respondents attend two to three a year, spending $150 each time. 67% reckon they will be attending such events for a few more years. Over half (59%) went because festivals give them a sense of community.

There are a number of reasons cited for applying for tickets. The headliners are important, with up to 31% suggesting it was their primary motivation.

Eventbrite’s research confirms a growing trend in recent years, that 48% prefer a small niche festival catering for their specific tastes, than a one-size-fits-all mainstream event.

Also reflecting that Australian music consumers are drawn to finding new music at such gatherings, 41% would prefer to attend a new festival they haven’t been to before over one they’ve attended in the past.

Russ Crupnick, Managing Partner at MusicWatch Inc says, “Affinity for the music, community, and social experiences of festivals is incredibly powerful. But with more festivals in the market than ever before, it’s become increasingly harder for those in the industry to differentiate themselves and ultimately turn a profit.”

Groovin the Moo, Falls Festivals and Splendour in the Grass are regarded as among Australia’s best festivals.

In fact, one in four Australian festival attendees are willing to travel intestate to catch a festival. 16% go overseas to do that, with Coachella in California named as a popular overseas destination although EDM and hardcore festivals in the US and Europe also draw their share of adventurous Aussies.

Crupnick also observed, “Our research identified a key segment of valuable festival attendees who drive the lion’s share of the business. These hardcore fans are consistently outranking casual festival-goers in virtually all aspects of spending, attending, influence, and engagement.”

Eventbrite’s research found Australian “hardcore festies” make up 14% of festival attendance but over 80% of the spend. They go to a minimum of four festivals a year (59% plan to attend more next year), and spend $752 a year compared to $151 of casual attendees.

Mostly male in their early 30s and earning about $70,000 a year, they gravitate to VIP packages, tend to be huge consumers of recorded music through various platforms and formats, and 50% would go to a festival alone if they have to.

The UK “hardcore festies” make up over a quarter of attendees and 56% of the total spend and attend between 5 to 6 festivals each year. Their top festivals are Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the Park, Reading/Leeds and Download. 40% of them use Snapchat while on-site.

The American study put the “hardcore festie”’s ticket spend at $208 (compared to the casual’s $117) with over 69% preferring to see their fave acts at festivals than at their own headline shows.

Laura Huddle, Head of Marketing at Eventbrite Australia, comments, “Being ingrained in this business for the past decade, we’ve witnessed consolidation of key industry players alongside the entrance of new niche festivals. A consistent theme from festival producers and fans alike has been the desire to preserve the authentic atmosphere that makes these experiences so transformational.

“Our research indicates that not all festival-goers are created equal and that perhaps the best way for those in the industry to continue to thrive is by tapping into this core group of hardcore fans and what ultimately keeps them coming back for more.”

Another independent Australian research, this one by Deakin University, indicates that people who attend festivals and concerts are happier and more satisfied than those who don’t. The If You’re Happy And You Know It: Music Engagement And Subjective Wellbeing study took data from 1,000 people, and found that those who danced and sang at music events provided a greater and healthier sense of community.

To view the full research, visitwww.eventbrite.com.au/l/state-of-australian-music-festivals-2016/.