2023
EVENT TRENDS REPORT

After a bumpy few years, 2022 brought improved conditions for event creators and attendees alike. Mask restrictions and lockdown decrees eased, travel for festivals was back on the table, and people around the world were eager to reconnect with each other at concerts, sporting events, marathons, art classes, and more after prolonged isolation. 

The pandemic years introduced innovative new ways of producing events, popularizing outdoor venues and virtual streaming while also reminding people of just how much gathering together is essential for joy and connection. We expect much of this positivity to continue in 2023, despite facing new concerns over rising global inflation and recession. 

Just as we did last year, we checked in with our event creators to see how they’re faring, surveying 1,581 organizers across the globe on how they’re feeling about the year ahead and the challenges they face.

For the very first time, we also conducted a survey of 4,474 event attendees, asking them if their enthusiasm for events will change in the new year, what they wanted to see more of, whether inflation is tightening their purse strings, and much more.

Our takeaway? Attendees and creators are feeling optimistic about the year ahead, with attendees eager to head out to even more events and citing how positively they feel about gatherings. Our event creators share this enthusiasm, but also express concerns over budget woes and increased market competition. 

Within this report, we share these findings as well as how event hosts can tackle the challenges that cropped up in our survey. For the bulk of this report, we’ve dialed into American respondents, but we also zoom out and take a look at global trends at the end. 

Let’s start with how attendees are feeling.

Trend #1
Party like it’s 2019

Back in January of 2022, while many were anticipating a year of renewed enthusiasm for events, ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, varying mask and testing requirements, and canceled shows due to ill performers resulted in lower-than-expected attendance numbers for many venues.

Looking at the year ahead, attendees of all age groups are much more secure in their enthusiasm for mingling in-person again. Over 40% of boomers said they plan to attend more events than last year. More than 60% of Gen X and millennials say the same. Less than 10% of all respondents say they plan to attend fewer events.

This bodes well for shows that typically attracted older audiences, which performed especially poorly this past year. According to The Washington Post, venues that draw older crowds like symphonies and theaters sold 32% fewer tickets than usual in 2022.

Do you expect to attend more or fewer events and/ or live experiences in 2023 compared to 2022? 

“The best event this year was going to see the Broadway version of The Lion King with my kid,” one attendee said. “We got tickets before the pandemic hit, so it was a long wait until we could go. To finally be back seeing live theater was like going home.”

Trend #2
Despite budgetary challenges, events make the cut

While worries over COVID-19 might be easing, concerns over inflation and the economy are rising. Some 80% of our survey respondents said that rising costs are causing them to tighten their budget, with nearly 89% of respondents saying they expect inflation to continue into 2023.

Despite this, consumers largely don’t anticipate slashing their events budget. Almost 70% of respondents said they plan to spend the same amount on events in 2023 as they did in 2022. 

And, when we asked event organizers their thoughts on ticket pricing for 2023, though 31% of respondents expect to raise ticket prices, a larger 52% plan to keep prices the same. This bodes well for an attendee audience who have factored events into their 2023 budgets.

Trend #3
Please don’t stop the music

Music fans stand out as “essentialist” event-goers (more on this below!). While 86% agree that inflation will drive up up the cost of attending concerts, that’s not necessarily going to stop them from grooving to the jams. Around 37% said they’d pay more for a ticket to see one of their favorite performers, while another 38% say maybe. Some 11% said they’d pay more for a great experience, regardless of the performer. Less than 15% said they wouldn’t pay more.

The frenetic rush to purchase (costly) tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in November demonstrates that enthusiasm for big-stage live music is alive and well, regardless of economic woes. Increasingly, smaller music events are also popular among attendees: 84% of our respondents are looking for more concerts at local, independent venues in the new year.

One respondent said:

“[I attended the] Louder Than Life music festival in Kentucky. The bands were amazing and everyone was so grateful to come together and enjoy the artists we love – especially since it was canceled last year due to COVID. There was so much diversity in the attendees of the festival, and no one cared about race, gender, ethnicity, etc. Everyone just accepted people for who they are. It was amazing.”

Trend #4
The rise of the ‘essentialist’

These devoted music fans are part of a cohort we’re calling the event “essentialists,” people for whom skipping events just isn’t an option. 

Some 11% of respondents in the United States indicated that attending events is an essential priority for them, while another 18% said events are a high priority. Globally, these essentialists are also more likely to say they’ll pay higher prices for events than those who don’t consider events as much of a priority (45% as compared to 30%).

Music isn’t the only draw for essentialists. They’re also enthusiastic about 5k walks and runs, spiritual events, networking, speed dating, and silent discos. Surprisingly, many essentialists are also introverts, with some 32% identifying as introverted. 

It might be that these introverted essentialists find the uplifting energy of a crowd helps them slough off their shyness. They wouldn’t be alone in finding that events boost interpersonal bonding. Nearly 55% of American respondents said that events sparked feelings of connection, and 41% said that events made them feel part of a community. 

One attendee said:

“I went to see Stray Kids in Seattle, and it was one of the best concerts of my life because they were such great performers. The energy in the stadium was also so intense that even an introvert like me could get hyped.”

Trend #5
We’re better when we’re together

Events seem to play an important role in countering the isolation that many are feeling, even as pandemic restrictions have faded. Around 30% of American respondents said that they are “almost always” or “often” socially isolated. Nearly 65% of them said that attending events made them feel less lonely. 

Even more than interpersonal connection, our respondents said that events bring joy. Nearly 65% of US respondents said that attending gatherings made them feel happy, and another 55% said they left feeling energized.

Much of this happiness seems to spring from the fact that 2022 was a year of reconnecting and first experiences after almost two years of restrictions on in-person gatherings. “A movie night at church brought the whole group together after being isolated,” said one respondent. 

Event producers would be wise to continue offering gatherings that spark these types of valued connections and feelings of togetherness in the new year.  

Immersive experiences, ones which weave together music, video, live performers, and augmented reality, energize customers. The Van Gogh Experience, in which attendees immerse themselves in paintings via 360 projections, VR exploration or by taking yoga classes amid massive projections of Van Gogh’s art, got rave reviews from respondents across the globe.

“The best event I went to was The Van Gogh Experience. It was [so] inspirational!” said a respondent.  

As an added perk for event hosts, one industry expert has found that attendees who participate in immersive experiences like cooking classes or dance lessons while traveling are more likely to share these moments on social media. 

Trend #6
The thrill of the known

Attendees may be eager to get out and about, but they aren’t exactly looking for the exotic. We surveyed people on their preferences around certain facets of events and found that attendees tend to like what’s familiar.

Almost 70% of American respondents prefer events close to home. Around the same number would rather attend events with friends than meet new people at gatherings. And 62% would choose to see a performer they’re familiar with over checking out someone new. 

Perhaps the pandemic has made us all a little less adventurous, or it might be the cost of travel dampening enthusiasm for attending far-flung events. 

Luckily for Eventbrite hosts, who tend to offer unique things to do locally, this trend can work in our favor.

While we’re on the subject of attendee preferences, we also took a look at what sort of events attendees want to see more of in 2023.

Live music took the lead, with 84% asking for more concerts at local venues, and 79% hoping for additional music festivals. Live performing arts like theater and dance were also a popular request with 78% looking for more. Outdoor fitness events (67%), art shows (66%), and group fitness classes (63%) were also popular choices.

Of course, these trends are very general. Digging into the data reveals big differences depending on age group, gender, and extroversion level. For example, while over 70% of millennials and Gen Z respondents expressed interest in group workout classes, less than 50% of boomer and Silent Gen were interested. Some 60% of self-described extroverts wanted more networking events compared to 42% of introverts.

We recommend that creators invest in their own audience research to better understand what their audience is looking for. Pre-and post-event surveys, competitive research, and on-site interviews with attendees can help.

Trend #7
Experience the holidays

People seem increasingly aware that our world is overwhelmed with too much stuf — much of it eventually ending up in landfills or clogging our waterways. Perhaps that’s why a majority of survey respondents said they’d rather receive a ticket to a live experience than a physical gift. When we proposed a gift of $100 cash, 54% of American respondents said they would choose to spend it on an experience rather than purchasing stuff. 

Another reason why we’re digging experiences? It fills that need for connection that we mentioned earlier, exacerbated by years of Zooming and staying home during the pandemic. 

Most of those we surveyed said that the best experiences they had this year were defined less by who was on stage and more by whom they went with or met there. In other words, it’s all about the intimate personal connections that happen at events. 

“I went to a Carolina Panthers game. It was a fun experience because it was a birthday present for my nephew,” said one respondent. 

“I saw the Kings of Leon in concert. They are my favorite band, and the concert was a few days before my birthday. It was the best birthday gift I’ve had in a while,” said another.

Fun fact
Around 25% of respondents said they’d prefer to attend an event rather than spend time with their family on Thanksgiving. Although the majority may still plan on a traditional gathering, there may be opportunity for event creators to offer an alternative for the group eager to ditch the turkey dinner.

Trend #8
Don’t underestimate introverts

Our survey also revealed another unexpected target demographic: introverts. Some 30% of our respondents self-identify as introverted. (For this survey, we defined an introvert as someone who prefers to spend time alone or in small groups vs. extroverts who feel energized by social times with others). 

Of this group, more than two out of three avoid in-person events because it involves socializing or meeting new people. 

However, as we touched on earlier, those coveted “essentialists” who view attending events as a not-to-miss priority are also more likely to be an introvert. Catering to introverts might be an important part of successful ticket sales. So, what exactly are these folks looking for?

When asked what they wanted to do more of in 2023, this group was more likely to say they wanted to work on hobbies or crafts (crafting and maker event hosts, take note). Introverts also said they like intimate settings, locations they’re familiar with, and events that are close to home. They also prefer to attend with friends rather than meet new people and aren’t as comfortable trying out new experiences. 

None of this may be surprising, but given the sizable number of attendees who consider themselves introverts, event hosts may want to take their needs into consideration. Launching a pre-event Facebook group to kick off socializing, providing a designated chill-out space at noisy gatherings, and hosting networking events in the morning to avoid end-of-day burnout are all ideas appreciated by the more reserved among us. 

Trend #9
Virtual events are here to stay

Virtual events may have started out as a workaround during the pandemic for many event producers, but attendees aren’t eager for them to disappear entirely. 

Online gatherings continue to have an appeal for a variety of reasons. Nearly 50% of survey respondents said they like that they can still tune in even if they are unable to travel to the event. A similar number, 45%, said they appreciate that attendee costs are usually lower than in-person events. The pajama dress code of Zoom also remains popular: 40% said they like virtual events because they don’t have to dress up. 

Some 30% of American survey takers indicated they plan to attend more virtual events in 2023, and an additional 40% said they plan to attend the same number as they did this past year.

Just as consumers eventually got used to using Slack and WhatsApp to conduct business, we’ve gotten used to using Zoom and other video platforms to attend events, Forbes noted.

“I’ve noticed more and more technology to better capture events for people to relive afterwards, or to view from their homes. It brings the experience that much more to life, and makes it just as enjoyable as if you were there in the first place,” said one attendee. 

If virtual events are going to stick around, event hosts should make sure they’re as accessible as possible. Providing live closed captioning or distributing PowerPoints and other documents in advance so attendees can use text-readers if needed are just some of the recommendations for those wanting to be more inclusive. 

However, face-to-face events still win the overall popularity contest. Of those surveyed, 64% prefer to attend in-person if an event offers both options. 

Enthusiasm for events in 2023 may be high among attendees, but how are event producers feeling these days? Cautiously optimistic may be the best way to phrase it.

Trend #1
Keep calm (and cautiously optimistic)

Many US survey takers were feeling somewhat tepid, with 43% somewhat optimistic about events in 2023 and 17% feeling neutral. Only 36% said they are extremely optimistic about events in 2023. After several years of restrictions on in-person gatherings, complicated masking and testing requirements, event organizers might be a little battle-weary.

Creators are also having mixed feelings about the economic outlook. A little over 30% of Americans expect this next year to be worse fiscally, while another 27% think it will stay the same. About 40% expect it will get better in some capacity. 

Event producers are anticipating budget woes in 2023 as well. Concerns over “insufficient budget” was the top challenge (29%) cited by American respondents in our survey. 

Around 60% of US respondents expect their attendee numbers to grow in the new year. Some 55% anticipate their event budgets to grow in some number. There’s a small gap here, and also a significant number of respondents who don’t see attendance ticking up or don’t anticipate their event budgets rising in 2023.

Our best advice? Make sure your event budgets reflect the reality of rising prices. 

However, 45% of American event hosts say ticket prices will go up, which means event creators should be able to recoup costs even with persistent inflation. Overall, event producers are likely reflecting the mixed state of the industry. While there are encouraging indications of a rebound, problems still persist. 

Wondering how to price tickets for your event in 2023?
Check out our Pricing Guide for the most up-to-date strategies, trends and tips.

This rebound isn’t happening in all areas of the industry: remote work has taken a bite out of midweek business events and downtown socializing. And the ever-present theme of rising costs plagues event producers as well. Price tags for tech, labor, and venue rental keep going up. Couple that with inflation prompting consumers to cut back on spending, and event hosts find themselves walking a fine line between covering costs and alienating attendees.

One respondent said:

“The economy is concerning. Building the arts back up when people may have less disposable income is a challenge because we need to cater to the experiences of a wide range of demographics and incomes.”

Despite the challenges, the happiness that events spark in attendees continues to motivate organizers. 

One event host said:

“The appetite for in-person gathering has returned — almost strengthened — and the engagement has steadied despite a possible leveling out post-lockdown. I’m encouraged by the sense of community, as well as the renewed sense of joy that people are feeling through connection and togetherness.”

Trend #2
The competition is fierce

Don’t expect 2023 to be a year of more-modest event schedules. Some two in three of American survey respondents feel there are more competitors in the event space compared to just a year ago. Not only are event hosts competing with each other for ticket sales, they’re also feeling the heat from competitors like brands, media companies, and content creators who are also promoting their own events.

To stay at the head of the pack, 76% of American respondents strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that they are planning to host even more events in 2023.

Top Tip
Streamline your marketing activity and reporting by housing your marketing tools on the one platform.

“I instantly fell in love with Boost. The reporting is fantastic, and I find it really easy to use. I don’t need to become an advertising expert. I just need to grow and create great events. That’s what a simplified system like Boost helps us do.” 
— Mateen Hepburn, director of Busspepper Promotions

Trend #3
Experience > event

Organizers are hoping to offer “must return events” in 2023, ones which build community and produce fond memories for attendees. About two out of three survey takers said they now see their role as less about managing event logistics and more about hosting a memorable experience. 

Some are doing so by deploying high-tech offerings. A new startup, Dancing Seahorse, provides those who purchase NFTs with perks like VIP seating and celebrity access at big-name concerts. The World Table Tennis tour has announced plans to introduce offerings like VR headset experiences, which show the game rendered into Japanese-style animations. 

Other experiences are decidedly more anti-tech. After several years spent heavily online during the pandemic, more and more attendees seem to crave events that don’t involve screen time. This can work out well for old-school venues like The Magic Castle, a Los Angeles-based clubhouse for magicians, which has banned photography during performances for decades.

A new class of attendee is helping to spur this appetite for unique experiences: the progressive nomad or “promad”. These wealthy globe-trotters are looking for activities that offer spiritual growth, artistic inspiration, and, above all, connection with like-minded fellow travelers. Companies like the upscale hotel chain Habitas are happy to oblige, offering options like sober beach parties and women’s retreats at getaways around the world.

That rise in American loneliness we mentioned is likely partly responsible for all this interest in finding community. In 2020, more than one in three Americans reported feeling lonely. Around one in five millennials reported they had no friends in 2019. As people crave more connection, they’re looking to gatherings to provide it.

As we observed earlier in this report, there’s also a shift away from purchasing physical presents and toward treating yourself with a unique experience instead. This holiday season, many are buying airline tickets and vacation packages rather than gifts. Bad news for retailers, but good news for those who offer guided tours or classes for travelers.

The advertising industry has taken notice of all this consumer demand. One of the major takeaways from Advertising Week 2022 was that brands need to invest more in experiences for consumers, offering pop-ups, parties or innovative sponsored booths at festivals. More good news for event hosts!

Trend #4
Making a name for yourself

Over 80% of American survey respondents said that fostering an online community year-around is very or extremely important to them. 

However, they’re competing for attention from consumers in an extremely crowded field, among big brands, media publications, content creators, and influencers who are all also focused on keeping customers regularly engaged. Thus, over 40% of survey takers said their biggest challenge is in growing their subscriber list, 20 points higher than the next-highest-ranked problem.

It may not be easy, but event hosts say that keeping in touch with attendees is worth the energy. Nearly 45% strongly agree that growing an online community is critical to year-over-year attendee growth.

And so, it seems that event creators have an advantage over competitors in the commerce space. Our consumer survey revealed that attendees associate events with happiness, inspiration, and feelings of connection — positive associations that big brands like subscription beauty boxes or media outlets can’t match.

Trend #5
Improvise, adapt, and overcome

At the moment, online or in-person ticket sales account for over 80% of revenue for American respondents. As inflation lingers and the threat of a recession looms in the US, event hosts should aim to become as financially resilient as possible in 2023.

There are a number of ways hosts can diversify their income streams:

Log (back) on: Nearly 40% of event creators say they charge the same amount for virtual tickets as they do for in-person. Those who don’t offer an online option or only consider it in an emergency may be missing out on a revenue stream. Adding a virtual option could bring in additional sales from those who can’t afford to travel (or prefer staying at home in their PJs).

The VIP experience: Less than 15% of respondents considered premium or VIP ticket options as a significant source of revenue. This means possible room for growth for some hosts, but creators should be mindful of what customers are actually looking for in this sort of option. Younger consumers say they’re less interested in “exclusivity” when it comes to premium options and more attracted to feelings of “pride” and “celebration.” This generation may be frugal, but they’re also open to moments of indulgence that allow them to “upscale the everyday.”

Hands on the merchandise: Consider adding merchandise, concessions, and partnerships to expand income streams. Merchandise, in particular, can be used to grow sales through bundled merchandise and ticket packages or using merchandise as incentives.Fans have been making their own bootleg merch for decades (check out the parking lot at any Grateful Dead or Phish show for inspiration), and now some creative entrepreneurs are turning that into a business. Softside runs competitions for fan-designed merchandise, and then collaborates with the artists to sell some of the more popular designs.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for livestreams: Creators should also consider other inventive ways to bring in cash, such as subscriptions, livestreams or pay-per-view content.

“I love making people happy, and I love it when they tell me that they’re happy. That’s what I live for.”
— Cynthia Crawford, host and DJ of Online Dance Parties

Perhaps, most importantly, offering an array of options to your attendees, from in-person to virtual gatherings as well as upscale and low-cost events, may be your best bet at a successful year.

“As the pandemic stabilizes, people may be more likely to travel and gather together, which hopefully will have a bigger impact than concerns about the economy,” one respondent said. “We’ve learned to have a mix of events throughout the year. Most are free. Some online-only, some hybrid and some only in person. So, something for everyone and a barometer of what people might prefer.”

Trend #6
Creators get creative

Among our US respondents, the most-popular avenue for spreading the word about events was organic, unpaid social media (43%), followed by email marketing (40%). We don’t see that necessarily changing in the new year, but we do anticipate hosts finding even more ways to use social media to promote their events.

“Eventbrite Boost is the best marketing tool that we have. It’s 100 percent responsible for our uptick in business.”
— Matt Orlove, founder of the event production company ORLOVE

He uses Boost to send out several email blasts a week. His 30–35% open rates translate into thousands of people reading the emails–and buying tickets.

Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and TikTok Live can all be implemented to stream events and engage one-on-one with fans This is especially true for creators who want to reach younger generations, given that 67% of American teens say they’ve used TikTok, and 62% say they’ve used Instagram. 

In fact, the younger crowd is increasingly turning to social media as a search engine. Rather than scroll through pages of Google results, Gen Z is now plugging search terms into TikTok to find information, recipes, and how-tos. They then peruse the comments section to vet the content. 

Event creators could take advantage of this behavior by making sure they have a searchable presence on TikTok.

Our friends abroad report similar feelings as American event creators and attendees.

Respondents in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are eager to attend more events in 2023, with 58% of Australians, 60% of Irish, and 52% of British expressing plans to do so (on par with 52% of Americans).

That could be due to the fact that respondents across the globe say that events make them feel happy (67%), connected (54%), and energized (53%).

With more than ten years experience behind him, James Harding is excited by the future of BeerFest Australia.

“We’ve lifted our sales by 35% since using Eventbrite Boost. It’s a great result that we’ve been able to achieve.”
— James Harding, BeerFest Australia

Interest in experiences rather than physical stuff is also a growing global trend. Over 55% of Americans and Australians, and over 60% of Irish and British respondents, say they’d rather receive a ticket to an event than a physical gift. The majority of global respondents also said they’d spend cash on an experience rather than buying more stuff. This bodes well for event creators in the new year. 

There are some differences, however. US creators are ahead of the curve on the idea that their role is more about designing experiences rather than planning events. Some 43% of American respondents agreed with this sentiment, nearly 10 points higher than Canadians and around 20 points higher than Australian and New Zealand creators. 

Americans and Australians share a continued love for virtual events, with around 30% of US and Aussie attendees planning to log on for more events in 2023 than in 2022. The UK and Ireland, not so much. A little less than 17% of respondents in those countries plan to do so. 

Creators in the UK and Ireland also don’t quite share the same level of optimism as those in Canada and the US. The number of UK and Ireland creators feeling “extremely optimistic” for 2023 hovers around 25%, while 35% of Canadian and American creators feel this way. This might be due to the proximity to the war in Ukraine, and its associated energy woes, which are pushing up electricity costs and other prices.

Overall, a sense of persistent optimism after a few years of turmoil, and a restored belief in the ability for events to connect and inspire, is getting creators and attendees excited for a new slate of gatherings in 2023. 

Feeling inspired and ready to host your next event? We’d love to help.