Fans Are Choosing Vacation Destinations Based on the Lineup
By Therese Larsson, SVP & Head of Media & Sponsorship EMEA
The next time someone books a flight and takes time off work, there’s a growing chance they’re going somewhere to listen to live music.
The concert, however, isn’t scheduled into the trip. The trip is scheduled around the concert. The performance, in other words, is the vacation.
This mindset — traveling to attend a live music event — is on the rise, lifting local economies and reshaping the global tourism industry.
Thousands of fans, for example, flew to Puerto Rico to watch Bad Bunny’s 30-show concert series last summer, generating millions of dollars in revenue for the island.
Likewise, Oasis’s recent reunion tour gave the U.K. and Ireland an estimated £1 billion economic boost, as fans supported local hospitality, retail, transportation, and tourism around each stop.
When people invest this much time and energy into seeing their favorite artists, brands that participate in the process — by making it easier, smoother, and more enjoyable — become an integral part of the overall experience. Fans won’t just notice the products and services they use along the way — they’ll remember them long after they’ve returned home.
Ready to Go
Live music fans are already open to adventure. Two-thirds of global fans say they’re always looking for the latest travel trends and hot spots.
Additional data shows they’re gearing up to take more trips solely for the music.
Nearly half of fans, for instance, either traveled internationally for a live music event in 2025 for the first time or plan to make their maiden voyage of this sort in 2026.
The majority believe tourism tied to live music events will only grow in popularity this year.
Overall, more than 8 in 10 global fans express interest in attending a concert or festival in a destination location.
What’s driving the trend
Reasons for this surge in behavior vary, but an underlying theme points to flying for a feeling and memories over miles, paired with an openness to new cultures and experiences.
Around the globe, 81% of fans are willing to explore live music events featuring an artist or band from a different country. About 7 in 10 fans are still interested in attending even if the artist or band performs in another language.
Travis Scott playing a handful of record-breaking shows in New Delhi, India, last year illustrates this phenomenon, drawing more than 125,000 fans across two nights – becoming the largest rap shows ever held in India and the biggest single-artist concerts in the city’s history.
Separate figures reveal that 3 in 4 fans agree that traveling to a live music event makes the experience more meaningful. Almost 70% of global fans say they feel more connected to other fans and cultures when they travel for a live show.
As the internet makes it easier than ever to discover new musical artists, regardless of where they reside, the desire to see them live in action is also increasing.
“Fans are not just going to see the festival, they are also going to see the city. Airbnb is doubling down on that experience and trying to see if we can make it feel a little more like home when they visit.” – Kavita Patel, Head of Strategy and Operations at Airbnb
How brands can tune in
Unlike other major cultural events, such as the Super Bowl or FIFA World Cup, live music is happening everywhere, all the time.
This is good news for brands looking to show up around the moments when fans are already planning trips.
One approach likely to resonate with fans: travel guides. More than 3 in 4 live music fans are interested in brands that provide recommendations on what to do in a concert’s host city.
Beyond logistics, fans are also looking for brands to make their experience more premium and curated. Airbnb’s global partnership with Lollapalooza shows what that can look like in practice. Across the globe, Airbnb is creating new ways for fans to get closer to the music once they arrive, from behind-the-scenes tours with the festival director in Berlin to golf cart rides through the grounds and pit viewing in São Paulo, and private performances in India.
The journey is part of the draw
Almost 60% of live music fans travel to attend concerts and festivals at least once per year. That statistic is slightly higher among Gen Z fans, at 62%.
Among this group, 4 in 10 traveled 500 miles or more to attend an event in the past year. Six in 10 have traveled to a live music event with family members as part of a family vacation.
The appetite is there, and it’s only getting stronger.
Indeed, to most live music fans, the stage’s location carries as much weight in their decision to attend as the artists scheduled to perform on it. 75% agree that a festival’s destination is just as important as its lineup.
Live music is no longer just something people work into on their travels. It’s becoming the reason they choose where to go in the first place, opening new space for brands to shape the journey and meet fans along the way.
