New Study: How Live Music Fuels Local Connection & Community
Authored by: Pat Vaughn, Live Nation’s Senior Director of Integrated Marketing
If you’ve been to a concert, you know the energy in the air before the show—it’s electric. And when it’s your favorite artist at your local venue, it’s even more personal. Your community is there, laughing, cheering, taking pictures, talking setlists, and reminiscing about the last time they came to town, as the seconds tick down to the opening song.
of fans say local live music events enhance the quality of life in my community.
of fans say live music events make me proud to be a local.
The Power of Artists Coming to Local Venues
Through their emotional connection to their favorite artists and music, fans feel a sense of deep pride and loyalty to their local venue. It’s special when touring artists choose to come play in their hometown—it puts their community on the map and makes them feel seen.
And whether it’s being surrounded by friends on the amphitheater lawn at a Post Malone show or being at a club and feeling the closeness to an artist you love or are discovering for the first time, local live music venues help foster a deep connection to other people, creating memories and building an environment of inclusivity, acceptance, and belonging with your fellow concertgoers. It’s what keeps fans coming back to their local venues year after year.
Time and again, no matter their differences, fans consistently tell us that the energy of community and sharing that once-in-a-lifetime joy of seeing artists in their hometown with one another is what it’s all about. It’s really special to hear firsthand how passionate our fans are about this experience.
of fans agree that when famous artists come through their local music venues, they are proud to be part of the community.
of fans say their local live music venues are a tradition for them.
The Power of Brands Showing Up at Local Venues
In addition to the connection they have with their favorite artist and their local venue, fans also believe that local businesses and brands resonate with the concert experience, and they want them to sponsor live music events. It shows the fans that these companies care about the community and it makes the brand more relevant to them.
Take Northwell Health, for example. As the naming rights partner of the newly renovated Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, they connect with the Long Island community at one of its most beloved venues, while also giving back through our Music Forward Foundation and their Bee Mindful program.
In the same way fans support their local venues, they believe it’s also important to support brands and businesses that are part of their community because it benefits the local economy and preserves the character of their hometown.
Beyond their love for local businesses, our fans also value national brands for being additive to their lives and the live music experience, offering an enormous opportunity for brands to make powerful connections at scale within communities across the country. The best way to cultivate a strong connection to the local music scene is to show up in a way that feels genuine, like tailoring activations to reflect the location or showing support for a local cause.
OnPoint Community Credit Union shows up for the communities they serve in a major way as our Official Sustainability Partner at two Pacific Northwest amphitheaters, providing fans with water refill stations, solar phone charging stations, bike racks, and composting receptacles.
of fans say supporting local businesses is important to the success of my community.
of fans say brands sponsoring local live music events shows me they care about my community.
Local pride is all about celebrating a place’s unique qualities, and as we continue to build new venues and improve upon fan favorites, Live Nation will keep embracing our communities to create unforgettable experiences that remain authentic to concertgoers in cities and towns across the country.
There are so many ways for both local and national brands to leverage Live Nation’s network of venues to positively impact the community and your business. Reach out to learn more about how our 360-degree live music marketing team can build a sponsorship program that’s tailored to your specific goals: sponsorshipcommunications@livenation.com.
