A state-specific breakdown of Australian audiences in 2023 and beyond

Read our State Snapshots to discover the top trends in audience behaviour at a state-by-state level.

Based on data from the August 2023 Audience Outlook Monitor, the State Snapshots explore how audience behaviour is impacted across different parts of the country, especially as economic pressures persist. 

Attendance levels have stabilised across the states since the pandemic began, with three states reaching their highest rate of attendance since 2020. However, as disposable income gets squeezed, audiences nationwide are grappling with tough decisions about what, how and when to attend. 

There are some important distinctions. New South Wales audiences are attending the most and spending the highest on cultural events. Meanwhile, those in Victoria and Queensland are most likely to be acting more frugal and taking longer to make decisions, staying closer to home and looking for cheap/free things to do. In Western Australia and South Australia, the outlook appears most stable, with audiences the most likely to say their rate of attendance will stay the same in the next 12 months. 

Download the NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT and WA reports below for the latest look — including the story on last-minute booking, subscriptions/memberships and online participation — and to explore the opportunities for strategic thinking in 2023 and beyond.

Download the snapshots

Click the buttons below to access the snapshots for each state.

Thank you to the following state arts agencies for their support in delivering the State Snapshots: Creative Victoria, Create NSW, Arts Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA), Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (WA) and ArtsACT.

Cover Image Credit: Cecilia Martin, courtesy of Spaghetti Circus.

Read the ‘Audiences 2023+’ report

In case you missed it, click the button below for the key insights from the August 2023 National Snapshot.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 8,800 respondents has been uploaded to the dashboard, which now contains insights from 100,000 Australian participants.

You can use the dashboard to explore the findings by state, 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.

Data was collected in six phases throughout 2020-2022 and is again being tracked in 2023.

Government agencies across Australia 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.

How to find out more

To receive new releases directly into your inbox, as soon as they are available, you can opt in to receive Audience Outlook Monitor news below.

Subscribers to our regular Culture Insight & Innovation Updates will need to update their preferences to receive all updates about the Audience Outlook Monitor. Just enter your email below and follow the instructions provided.

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

Peta Petrakis
Research Analyst