7 in 10 audiences are now attending in-person and ticket sales are increasing

The March 2021 results of the Audience Outlook Monitor point to a resurgence of arts and cultural attendance across the country.

Thanks to increasing numbers of events and outdoor programming over summer, 71% say they have recently attended a cultural venue or event of some kind and 80% are making plans to attend in future. Audiences are also spending more on tickets compared with September 2020 and many have purchased a subscription or membership.

Download the Snapshot Report or read on for more of the findings.

Restrictions and the risk of lockdowns are affecting audience behaviour

After months of very low infection rates, confidence is growing stronger, though outbreaks have an immediate impact on behaviour. When asked about barriers to attending, the number one thing inhibiting attendance is no longer the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus (26%), but the risk of lockdowns and cancelled events (37%).

These risks are affecting spending and booking lead times, with people most commonly booking tickets 2–3 weeks in advance. A sizeable number (30%) say that in the next 12 months their spending levels won’t be as high as they were pre-pandemic.

Ensuring that ticketing and cancellation policies are well-communicated will be essential for helping audiences make plans and feel confident to spend larger amounts.

COVID-safe guidelines are critical to confidence – particularly social distancing

Those who have attended recently are largely satisfied with COVID-safety during their experience and a majority are at least somewhat comfortable to attend most kinds of cultural venues. However, mask-wearing remains slightly contentious and while more people feel comfortable to attend when face masks are mandatory, some report that it affects their experience and would opt for activities that don’t require one.

When presented with a list of options for attending an event, most audiences selected an indoor venue with fixed seating (44%) as their preferred choice, as the weather starts to limit outdoor events. Along with check-in procedures and disinfection, social distancing is important to audiences and venue capacity restrictions feature prominently in audiences’ perceptions of safety.

Some people report discomfort where social distancing is not observed by audiences once inside cultural venues. For every three people who are comfortable at a concert arena, there is one who isn’t, and the challenge is to ensure those unconcerned are considerate of those with a lower risk tolerance. Download the live attendance infographic below or read on for more of the key findings.

Online participation has decreased — though there is an enduring market for premium content

Around 1 in 10 (9%) say a digital program would be their first choice at this time – though overall participation in online arts experiences has fallen since September 2020 (47% have participated recently, down from 70%).

There is strong appeal for content that is available on-demand, with 64% ranking this type of access as an appealing feature when accessing online experiences, though live-streamed experiences are also attractive (37%).

While some audiences say they have grown fatigued of ‘screen-time’ or aren’t interested in digital programs (27%), more than one-third (37%) of those online continue to pay for content and proportionally more are spending over $100. Strategic investment to continue improving the value offered by digital experiences will help sustain engagement with key segments online. Download the Online engagement infographic or read on for more insights.

Strategic programming and thoughtful communication are key to rebuilding audiences

Looking ahead to the rest of 2021, the outlook is positive, with 94% of audiences planning to get vaccinated, and most (90%) at least somewhat confident that the vaccination roll out will help things return to normal within 12 months.

As winter approaches, and events return indoors, considerate and creative approaches to restrictions will help attract the largest possible audience. It may also be appropriate to offer events with different models to suit different audience segments. Alongside strategic programming, effective communication of COVID-safe policies and what they mean for the audience experience will help to further improve confidence.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 13,800 respondents has been uploaded to the dashboard, which now contains insights from over 60,000 Australian participants.

You can use the dashboard to explore the findings by state/territory, artform and audience segment.

It’s freely available to access, just click the image below and use the login details provided on the dashboard page.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor provides the results of a study that has tracked audience sentiment over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how audiences respond to changing restrictions on cultural events.

Data was collected in three phases throughout 2020 and is again being tracked in 2021.

Six government agencies are collaborating with research agencies Patternmakers (Sydney) and WolfBrown (USA) to produce this resource. The dashboard is freely accessible and designed to help artists and cultural organisations of all kinds to make the best possible decisions about re-opening.

How to find out more

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If you have a question, or an idea for using this data, please contact Patternmakers at info@thepatternmakers.com.au

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About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Tandi is Founder and Managing Director of Patternmakers. She’s an arts research specialist and leader of the agency’s research projects.

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Key findings: March 2021