Older Australians are attending more live cultural events and spending more on tickets than they were six months ago despite the rising cost of living – but Australians under 35 are feeling the squeeze, attending fewer events and hunting for more freebies.
Inflation is leading half of Australian audiences to spend less on tickets and favour local events, according to a new report released by the Australia Council, which surveyed 1,318 recent attenders of cultural events.
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Of those surveyed who had attended an event in early April, 59% had spent more than $50 doing so, slightly down from 63% in both August and October last year.
But one-third said the price they were willing to pay for tickets had lowered over the past six months, and 48% said they were attending events less frequently.
Overall, 42% of respondents said they felt they were “worse off” than they were a year ago – lower than the national average of 52%.
But a generational divide is emerging, with those under 35 and adults with children feeling they are being hit hardest by the cost of living, the report, conducted by Patternmakers and WolfBrown, found. Sixty-one per cent of those groups said financial pressures were affecting their ability to attend arts events as they had in the past, compared to 27% of those over 65. Discounts and pricing offers were playing a greater role in buying decisions overall, but particularly among people under 35 and those with children.
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The majority of older audiences, on the other hand, reported no noticeable difference in their financial circumstances. They also reported a steadily growing confidence in attending events safely as the threat of Covid-19 recedes, with just 16% of over-55s saying the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus was affecting their willingness to attend events, compared to 47% in August 2023.
Respondents over 55 were found to be “the most likely audiences to experience no barriers to attending right now”, with 78% of respondents aged 55-64 and 79% of audiences aged 65-74 saying they expected no barriers to attending arts events, making them most likely to seek out “challenging, topical works” in the next 12 months, the report concluded.
By comparison, under 35s have gone from the demographic most likely to have attended an arts event recently, to the least in just six months.
Last minute ticket-buying, a trend that emerged as the country eased out of lockdown and one causing widespread problems in the performing arts industries, shows no sign of decline, with four in 10 saying they were waiting longer to buy. As the cost of parking, fuel, air tickets and hospitality increase, more people are also prioritising events that are closer to home.
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A perceived lack of time and a lack of energy may be playing an additional role in shaping ticket-buying habits, the report surmised, with people adjusting to commuting post-pandemic, as well as an increase in social events that compete with the culture sectors.
Australia Council CEO, Adrian Collette, said the organisation was closely monitoring the impact of cost-of-living pressures.
“This research has also highlighted that art and culture continue to be seen as vital to community recovery, providing an avenue for healing, joy and social connection,” he added. “As we navigate the emerging socioeconomic stresses following the Covid-19 pandemic, arts, culture and creativity are more important than ever – to our productivity, prosperity and to our wellbeing.”
The report recommended arts organisations investigate introducing a “pay it forward” system, so “people in more comfortable financial positions can purchase or subsidise tickets for people more affected by cost of living pressures”, or even a “pay what you want” option for low cost events.
