Australians are the most enthusiastic concert goers in Asia Pacific, and among the most willing to travel for a show. But according to a new report from YouGov, Following the Music: APAC Concert Goers Report 2026, they’re also the least likely in the region to turn that trip into a proper visit to the destination.
Australia leads the region on attendance and travel
The multi-market study, surveying over 7,200 consumers across Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, found that three in four Australians (75%) have attended a live concert or music festival — the highest of any market surveyed, ahead of Thailand (70%), Singapore (68%), Hong Kong (64%) and Indonesia (61%).
Furthermore, more than half (55%) of Australian concert goers have travelled specifically to see an artist perform, rising to 71% among Gen Z and 63% among Millennials.
Despite leading the region on attendance and travel, Australians are the most resistant in APAC to sticking around once they arrive. Only 36% say attending a concert made them more interested in the destination hosting the event— the lowest of the five markets surveyed, and well behind the regional average of 54%.
The curiosity is limited with only a quarter concert goers (25%) saying they discovered a new destination through a show now intending to revisit it.
The pattern holds when it comes to extending the trip: Australians are the least likely to add extra days to a concert trip to explore the destination, with a sizeable share (14%) saying they haven’t added time and aren’t considering it.
Where other markets are increasingly turning a single ticket into a multi-day getaway, Australian fans are more likely to treat the concert as the whole trip.
A missed opportunity for cities and promoters
Cost remains the single biggest reason Australians don’t attend more often — ticket prices (45%) and overall spend (41%) are cited well ahead of any other barrier.
Despite the barriers, most Australians expect to attend the same number of concerts or more over the next two years, suggesting demand for live music isn’t the issue.
The bigger opportunity may lie in what happens after the encore. In markets like Thailand and Indonesia, concerts are becoming a genuine driver of tourism — extended stays, repeat visits, destinations discovered through music. Australia’s fans show up in force, but promoters, venues and destination marketers have room to do more to turn that audience into visitors who stay, explore and spend.
