Eventbrite study confirms fans are buying tickets much later than ever

Ticketing platform Eventbrite shared a new study on US music ticket buyers at this week’s National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) conference in New Orleans.

Music Edit 2024 offers insights to help guide the marketing of performing artists, venues, and promoters,

The report shows that more fans are purchasing tickets at the last minute. The trend, which began post-pandemic, is accelerating, with the average time between ticket purchase and show date down 26% from 2022 to 2024.

Overall, 57% of all tickets are purchased a week or less before the show date.

Despite increased competition, venues and promoters are responding to the trend by creating shorter on-sale windows

Rise of the Niches

Pop still rules live ticket sales, but it’s not the fastest-growing genre. Attendance at alternative music shows in the US increased 7X from 2023 to 2024.

Top five genres with the greatest attendance growth

Read the full Eventbrite Music Edit 2024 report here.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.