Australia has always prided itself on two things: being able to afford a pint and being able to afford a ticket to see your favourite band. Right now, one of those is slipping out of reach; tragically, it’s not the pint.
New research from ticket exchange platform Tixel, in partnership with culture marketing agency Bolster, has revealed that nearly three in five Australians (57%) have been forced to choose between attending a gig and paying for essentials such as rent, groceries or utilities over the past year. Among Gen Z, the figure jumps to 64%, meaning our youngest fans are juggling power bills against power chords.
The findings come from the 2025 Ticketing State of Play: Behind the Ticket report, which has quickly become the industry’s annual temperature check on who’s buying tickets, how much they’re paying, and how far their wallets can stretch before breaking.
Fans still say “shut up and take my money”
Despite the relentless squeeze of the cost-of-living crisis, with 79% of Australians admitting their daily expenses have been directly affected, the nation’s love affair with live entertainment remains remarkably stubborn.
In fact, nearly 72% of fans say they would still buy a ticket to see an artist they adore, even if the price overshoots expectations by a country mile. It’s the passion that proves, once again, music is less a pastime and more a lifeline.
Zac Leigh, CEO and Co-Founder of Tixel, describes ticket buying as “complex, emotional, and social.” As he explains:
“People are navigating tighter budgets, but they’re also finding creative ways to make live events happen whether that’s leaning on resale for flexibility, prioritising their favourite artists above all else, or waiting until friends commit before buying.”
Leigh has a point. For many Australians, ticket resale markets are not a secondary option but part of the game plan. Three in four fans say resale gives them the confidence to buy earlier, knowing they can on-sell if life intervenes. And for Gen Z, the collective spirit runs deep: more than half admit they only press “buy now” once their mates are on board.
The lineup is king, but the support act matters too
While fans overwhelmingly declare that 91% of purchase decisions hinge on the artist or lineup, there’s still strong support for giving local talent more of a stage. Eighty-two percent back initiatives like Michael’s Rule, designed to ensure Australian performers are better represented alongside international stars.
But as Forum Melbourne’s Sally Mather warns:
“If we don’t have support acts and those pathways for artists, we won’t have the next generation of headliners. We want to see the younger generations being as excited about Australian artists as they are with the internationals coming in.”
It’s a sobering reminder that the festival headliners of tomorrow need audiences today, and without support slots, they’ll never get the chance to graduate from the pub stage to the main stage.
TikTok, setlists, and meme-worthy moments
The way Australians discover music is changing almost as fast as ticket prices rise. Nearly 39% of fans and 53% of Gen Z have bought tickets to artists they first encountered on TikTok or Instagram.
This social-driven discovery has reshaped live performance itself. As Darren Levin, Bolster’s GM of Marketing Solutions, explains:
“TikTok and Instagram haven’t just changed how fans buy tickets, they’ve changed what it means to perform live. Artists are now designing moments for both the people in the room and the audiences watching through their phones. Meme-ready gaffes, Easter eggs, setlist surprises these rituals are now baked into the show. Live performance has become a content engine, where every night feeds fandom, drives streams, and keeps the tour hype alive.”
In other words, your accidental stage fall or surprise encore isn’t just a headline tomorrow, it’s a viral clip tonight.
When expectations don’t match the bill
Of course, none of this comes cheap. Fans expect to pay around $280 for a camping festival, but the average is closer to $385. That’s a $100+ gap between fantasy and reality. And yet, despite grumbling at the gate, 60% of Australians report spending more on tickets this year than last.
Why? Music, unlike electricity bills, makes people happy, and Australians are determined to keep it in their lives, even if it means raiding the grocery budget.
Industry takeaways: adapt or be drowned out
The Tixel report reads less like a doom-and-gloom prophecy and more like a stern memo to promoters, marketers and event organisers: adapt to new behaviours, or risk empty venues.
As Zac Leigh notes:
“Our mission at Tixel is to make ticketing more transparent, flexible, and fair. By giving people the confidence to commit earlier and ensuring tickets are resold securely between real fans, we’re helping promoters and artists build stronger, more sustainable events.”
That sustainability will rely on more than just ticket tech. It will require keeping festivals affordable, ensuring local acts are nurtured, and recognising that in 2025, a viral TikTok may shift more tickets than a radio ad ever could.
The bottom line
Australia’s live music scene may be under financial siege, but it remains fiercely defended by the fans who keep venues buzzing. Yes, the ticket cost can now rival the weekly shop, but when faced with a choice between broccoli and Beyoncé, most Aussies know how their heart will lean.
The only question is whether the industry can meet that passion halfway or whether fans will eventually find themselves priced out of the mosh pit altogether.
