Under-25s spearheaded Australia’s live music attendance in 2020 [report]

Only 5% of Australians went to rock, pop or music concerts in an average three months in 2020, compared to 10% in 2019.

The fall would have been even steeper if not for enthusiasm for gigs by Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2009 and last year aged between 25 and 11.

According to a new report by Roy Morgan Research, The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 changed the composition of audiences at live entertainment events.

“Generation Z (overtook) Generation X as the generation most likely to attend a performance – although both were down significantly on 2019,” the report stated.

“In 2020 attendance at live entertainment activities was heavily correlated to age with younger Australians the most likely to attend.”

Over 1-in-6 people in Generation Z (17%) attended a live entertainment activity during 2020, down from 32% in 2019, but higher than any other generation.

Next most likely to attend live entertainment activities were Millennials (born between 1981 and 1994/6) on 15%, down from 30% in 2019.

The biggest declines were for Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979/80) on 13% down from 32%, and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) on 10% down from 29%.

Only 8% of Pre-Boomers attended a live entertainment activity in 2020, dow22% in 2019.

Last year, the effects of the pandemic saw an overall 14% (or 2.9 million Australians over the age of 14) across every demographic attend all live entertainment activities.

These covered theatre, rock, pop or music concerts, theatre restaurants, cabaret, music festivals, jazz, classical, blues, ballet or opera performances in an average three-month period.

In 2019, before the sector’s shut down, 6.2 million (or 30%) had turned out for these events.

The overall decline in overall attendance was most marked with women, whose attendance fell 19% points from 32% to just 13%. For men, the slide was 13% points, from 28% to 15%.

“The Roy Morgan data illustrates how vaccinating older Australians is vital to returning audiences at live entertainment activities to their pre-pandemic levels of well over 6 million people,” the research company’s CEO Michele Levine said.

“Older Australians are far more hesitant about attending events which involve coming into contact with hundreds, or even thousands, of strangers than their younger counterparts.

“Given the mortality statistics surrounding COVID-19, which presents a far greater danger to older people and those with significant existing health issues, this is no surprise.

“However, these results emphasise the importance of a successful vaccination program in Australia to many live entertainment activities.”