A new report has concluded that rising costs associated with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis are preventing young people from attending more live music events.
The study—the first of its kind—was conducted by The Australia Institute and commissioned by The Push. It surveyed 1,009 Australians between the ages of 16 and 25 over a week-long period.
The report found that 64% of 16-25-year-olds said that attending music events is important, but there’s a significant barrier stopping young Aussies from going to all the live music events they’d like to attend.
According to the findings, three in five 16-25-year-olds—a whopping 59%—state that cost is a barrier to going to shows, and one in three (35%) describe cost as the “most significant” barrier.
Not just sharing problems without solutions, the young people surveyed revealed that they support government policies to help them attend and support their local live music scene.
Four in five 16-25-year-olds (81%) said they support a national government program to help young people stage live music events in their local communities, and 80% of participants stated that they support a $200 government-funded voucher program to help them explore their cultural and creative interests.
Kate Duncan, the CEO of The Push, described the study’s results as an “important moment” for the Australian live music industry as everyone responds to ongoing challenges within the sector.
“We now have the crucial data to support what we have heard anecdotally for many years about the experiences of young Australians who want to attend music events,” Duncan said.
Adding that live music is more important to young Australians than ever, Duncan highlighted the devastating impact of rising inequality for ticket buyers: “As cost-of-living continues to be their biggest concern, young people are struggling to attend concerts, gigs, and festivals.
“We have heard loud and clear that young people believe there is a significant role for all levels of government to support initiatives – from grassroots all the way to the biggest stages – so that all young Australians can experience music events,” Duncan continued.
“As our music sector looks to respond to the evolving behaviours of new audiences, it’s important that we hear directly from young Australians about the barriers we need to address and what solutions can foster a thriving live music sector now and into the future.”
RMIT Associate Professor Doctor Catherine Strong, who co-authored a report with The Push on young Australians and music, added: “This research has provided timely, up-to-date information on young people’s engagement with music in Australia. It has shown that while live music is still an important part of young people’s lives, more work is needed to ensure they can access it.”
Doctor Morgan Harrington, the Manager of Postdoctoral Research at The Australia Institute, said: “Music has the power to bring young people together and create the bonds of community. Government can support the youth of Australia to increase participation in the arts, and we know from the evidence both here and overseas what policies work.”
Stating that the current economic times have undeniably had a “significant negative impact” on live music venues and music festivals nationwide, Harrington called for “popular, pragmatic policy options” that are already available to governments “that would both support the live music industry and allow more young Australians to get out there and make the memories that will last a lifetime.”
