Eventbrite Trends Report
As another year comes to a close, Eventbrite analyzed millions of experiences from its vast range of one-of-a-kind events and polled 2,000 Americans to reveal how people gathered in 2022 and how they plan to build connections in 2023.
Consumers spent this year reacquainting themselves with how to gather and redefining the art of connection. Events that saw a spike in 2022 enabled people to dive deeper into their personal passions, while simultaneously building a community of like-minded enthusiasts to enjoy them with.
During the first nine months of the year, Eventbrite transacted a whopping 84 million tickets across its top five categories – that’s nearly the same size as the population of Germany; or put another way, enough to fill Madison Square Garden roughly 4,000 times over.
Top 5 categories in the U.S. on Eventbrite in 2022
- Music – 28M total tickets
- Business & Professional – 18M total tickets
- Food & Drink – 13M total tickets
- Community & Culture – 13M total tickets
- Visual & Performing Arts – 12M total tickets
Whether it was a concert, food festival or gallery opening, people were indulging in experiences that fostered community and connection to the world around them. According to Eventbrite’s platform data, these are the most event-driven cities in America in 2022.
Top 5 U.S. Cities by Event Count and Top Categories
| Rank | City | Total Events | Total Attendees | Top Categories |
| 1. | New York City | 95,000 | 6,200,000 | 1.Music 2.Performing & Visual Arts 3.Food & Drink |
| 2. | Los Angeles | 34,000 | 3,300,000 | 1.Music 2.Performing & Visual Arts 3.Film, Media & Entertainment |
| 3. | Chicago | 33,000 | 2,500,000 | 1.Music 2.Food & Drink 3.Performing & Visual Arts |
| 4. | Atlanta | 32,000 | 2,700,000 | 1.Music 2.Food & Drink 3.Business & Professional |
| 5. | Washington, D.C. | 31,000 | 2,200,000 | 1.Music 2.Food & Drink 3.Performing & Visual Arts |
Music was clearly the lifeblood for Americans in 2022, with approximately 28 million tickets transacted on Eventbrite. Despite anticipating continued inflation in 2023, close to half (48%) of U.S. consumers surveyed say they’re willing to pay more for music events – whether for a performer they feel passionate about, or because they’re willing to pay for great experiences, no matter the performer.
This passion for music also spans across nearly 30 genres in the United States, making it clear there is something for everyone, no matter where they live.
2022 Music Trends
- Themed music nights are on the rise. Genre-specific events like emo night, 80s night and K-pop night have grown by 95% over last year, and attendance to these types of events has skyrocketed by 130%.
- More music, more release parties. The number of album and record release parties in 2022 grew by 54% over last year.
- Live music rocks on. There were over 95,000 concerts hosted on Eventbrite in the U.S. in 2022, an increase of 51% over last year.
- The Caribbean brings the heat. Music events with African / Caribbean roots (Reggae, Afrobeats, Soca) grew 102% over the last year and attendance to these events has increased 104%.
- Despite music having its moment, silent disco is on its way out. Silent disco events are down 17% over last year.
Nothing is more universal than gathering with friends and family over a warm meal or a chilled drink. In 2022, Eventbrite’s food and drink category transacted more than 13 million tickets.
Based on 2022 numbers, Eventbrite has identified the following emerging trends on the horizon for 2023:
2022 Food & Drink Trends
- It’s so cheesy. Charcuterie, cheese board and butter-board events increased by 89% over last year, and nearly 300% over 2019. Hosting a dinner party has never looked this good.
- Forget the desert, bring on the dessert. There were over 830,000 attendees to food festivals and related events on Eventbrite in 2022, up 87% over 2021. Could event attendees be trading in music festivals for food festivals?
- Food 101. Attendance at cooking classes has increased by 12% over last year, and up 33% over 2019.
- Time to unwind. Events for people to let loose (bar crawls, happy hour and boozy brunch) are up 57% and attendance is up 82% over last year.
- Boozy battle. Eventbrite saw nearly 1.3 million attendees flock to spirits focused events in 2022, with attendance up 120% over last year. That’s nearly 80% more attendees at spirits events compared to wine events and 30% more compared to beer events.
The Hottest Events in 2023
When surveyed about what they want more of in 2023, Americans cited these top five activities as the events they crave heading into the new year:
- Concerts at independent and local music venues: 85%
- Music festivals: 81%
- Live performing arts, like plays, ballet and opera: 79%
- Art shows: 70%
- Outdoor fitness (marathons, yoga, etc.): 68%
| Question: Do you want more or less of the events below in 2023? | % Agree / “Want More” |
| Concerts at independent / local music venues | 85% |
| Music festivals | 81% |
| Live performing arts (e.g. plays, ballet, opera) | 79% |
| Art shows/gallery openings | 70% |
| Outdoor fitness activities (marathons, outdoor yoga, etc.) | 68% |
| Charity fundraising tournaments (i.e. wiffle ball, golf, bake-offs, etc.) | 64% |
| Group fitness classes (dance workouts, boxing, etc.) | 63% |
| Scavenger hunts | 63% |
| Genre-themed music events (indie night, emo night, Reggae Fest) | 60% |
| Spirituality events (meditation classes, breathwork workshops) | 57% |
| Networking events | 57% |
| 5k walks/runs | 55% |
| Book discussions | 50% |
| Pub crawls | 47% |
| Poetry readings | 40% |
| Speed dating events | 31% |
Americans Factor Live Events into 2023 Budgets Despite Inflation
Looking ahead to 2023, new data from Eventbrite reveals that while consumers expect costs and inflation to continue rising, they are factoring live events into their 2023 budgets.
Nearly two thirds (65%) of Eventbrite survey respondents expect inflation to continue rising in 2023, and 79% agree that inflation is causing them to tighten their budgets. However, over two thirds (70%) of Americans surveyed plan to spend the same or more on events in 2023.
As people become increasingly vigilant about spending, events remain top of mind when budgeting, largely driven by the desire to gather after so much time apart. In fact, close to one third of survey respondents (29%) say that spending on live events and experiences is an essential or high priority.
Live Events Combat Social Isolation in 2023
Over half (52%) of survey respondents in the U.S. expect to attend more events in 2023.
The most eager to gather? Younger generations – over 60% of Gen Y (Millennial) and Gen Zers say they’ll be at more events in 2023, once again showing that the loneliest generations crave social connection.
Furthermore, 63% of Americans agree that attending an in-person event makes them feel less isolated/lonely.
Contact: press@eventbrite.com
About Eventbrite:
Eventbrite is a global self-service ticketing, marketing, and experience technology platform that serves a community of hundreds of thousands of event creators in nearly 180 countries. Eventbrite powers millions of events every year and is your inside source for what’s trending in live experiences – we spot the next big thing and understand how people are spending their time, making connections and building communities.
About Eventbrite’s Consumer Survey:
This report is based on a 7-minute online survey conducted between September 13 and September 27, 2022 by Ravn Research on behalf of Eventbrite. A paid panel of 4,400 adults aged 18 and older from the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia completed the survey. The panelists represent a natural distribution of age and gender, and responses are not weighted. To qualify for the survey, respondents needed to attend at least one event of any kind in the last 12 months.
About Eventbrite’s Platform Data:
Figures in this report are based on Eventbrite’s U.S. platform data and compares and analyzes events held January 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022 to events held in the same months in previous years.