New Study Reveals Gen Z is Willing to Spend Money on Concerts Despite Rising Ticket Costs

According to a new study conducted by Luminate Intelligence, Gen Z is becoming less concerned with ticket prices as the cost of attending concerts continues to increase. Gen Z recently became the highest-spending demographic for concerts, now investing more than millennials.

The numbers:

• Luminate surveyed around 4,000 US residents.

• In Q1, Gen Z participants spent an average of $101 on live music.

• Millennials spent $94.

• 53% of those surveyed said ticket prices prevented them from attending more concerts. This is down from 59% two years ago.

• For specific demos, 57% of Gen Z respondents were discouraged by ticket prices, down from 75% in 2024.

• In the same metric, millennials decreased from 66% to 56%.

• The number of Gen Z respondents attending two concerts per year increased from 29% in Q1 2024 to 37% in Q1 2026.

• Gen Z is also willing to travel for events, with only 31% citing travel expenses as a barrier in Q1 2026. In Q1 2024, that number was almost doubled at 61%.

What they said:

• Robert Steiner, Luminate Intelligence media analyst: “Blue dot fever certainly shouldn’t be thought of as a terminal prognosis for the industry. Overall, the live music business — both in terms of money in the box office and butts in seats — has seen several consecutive record-breaking years so far this decade. But the phenomenon is nonetheless a sign of the times: Post-pandemic demand for live music remains sky high, and artists and organisers have responded in kind. At the same time, operational costs have also ballooned, which translates to higher ticket prices.”