Live Music Is Now Its Own Economy
By Jeff Shaw, Executive Vice President, Brand Partnerships and Business Strategy
People spend a lot of time online. It’s where they work, study, and shop. They scroll. They stream. They swipe.
Increasingly, however, this isn’t what they want to be doing all the time. They crave a break from screens. They long to unplug.
Case in point: 93% of live music fans around the globe say that now, more than ever, they want to experience real life rather than some digital version of it. And they are going all in on live music.
Fans now don’t want to just attend the concert. They want to explore all of the options and experiences that a show has to offer. From premium viewing areas to local food and beverage options and even VIP experiences, growing fan demand has created an entire economy around the live experience.
And brands have the opportunity to be there every step of the way. In fact, fans even want brands to be there with them.
Before the first note
Before the first note even plays, fans are already preparing for the experience. And they’re not doing it alone. Nearly 8 in 10 say they’re interested in brands providing helpful information ahead of the show that makes the night or festival weekend easier to plan.
Consider the following things fans do in preparation for the show:
global fans make travel arrangements at least several days prior to the event.
global fans coordinate their outfits and fashion accessories in advance.
plan their meals and beauty products well ahead of time to prepare for their live music experience.
These are ideal moments to get in front of people. Their spirits are high. They’re on a mission to live in the moment, and actively seeking brands to accompany them on their journey.
Premium power
Fans are looking to brands to unlock access that brings them closer to the music they love. In fact, 86% of fans wish more brands created premium experiences at events.
Take Defender, for example. At festivals like BottleRock, Up In The Sky, and Austin City Limits, the brand helped kick off the weekend with exclusive experiences for fans, including performances from artists like Marcus King, Michelin star chef tastings, and custom gifts. Instead of just showing up on-site, Defender gave fans something one-of-a-kind to look forward to before the festival even got underway.
For many fans, premium simply means having more options throughout the day or weekend. More than two-thirds of global fans say elevated food and beverage offerings enhance their experience, showing how simple upgrades can make a real impact.
“Every fan is going to be a little bit different, every audience is going to be a little bit different, and then catering what you’re doing to that audience can go a long way. Focus on how can your brand add value in a unique way thats not only true to the brand but also what the fans are looking for.” – Russell Wallach, Global President at Live Nation
Local flavor, global variety
The city a show takes place in is part of what makes the experience memorable for fans. In fact, 96% of live music fans say new experiences are an important reason they go, including the chance to discover local food and other elements that reflect where they are. Brands can lean into this in thoughtful ways.
Most fans say they feel more connected to a show when the food and drink reflect the local area. Across six U.S. festivals, DoorDash helped bring local vendors directly to fans between sets, from crab chip nachos in Boston to noodle dishes at Shaky Knees. It’s a simple idea, but it makes the weekend feel more connected to the place it’s happening.
Airbnb has taken a similar approach across its global Lollapalooza partnership, shaping experiences around each host city rather than repeating the same format everywhere. At Lollapalooza Berlin, that included behind-the-scenes tours with the festival director and glam sessions with a celebrity makeup artist. In São Paulo, fans unlocked backstage moments like golf cart rides through the grounds and pit viewing access. And at Lollapalooza India, actor and artist Siddhant Chaturvedi showed guests around some of his favorite spots in Mumbai before heading to the festival together. Each experience gave fans a different way to see both the festival and the city around it.
Most of the time, luxury at a show isn’t just about exclusivity. It’s about access to something you can only experience there.
More Than a Night Out
Live music is no longer something fans fit into their schedules. Increasingly, it’s what they plan their lives around. In fact, 75% of global fans say they organize their calendars around attending shows.
That shift changes what live music represents. 4 in 5 fans now prioritize experiences over physical products when making purchase decisions. A concert isn’t just a few hours at a venue anymore or even a weekend at a festival. It shapes a full journey that starts the moment a lineup or tour is announced, from where fans decide to stay and who they go with to what they wear, where they eat, and how they amplify the experience afterwards.
For brands, that creates a different kind of opportunity. The role isn’t just to appear at the event itself. It’s to show up across all the moments that build around it and the memories that last long after it’s over.
