London, UK, Sept. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
- 1 in 2 live music fans strongly identify with the fan communities of their favourite artists, increasing to 65% among Gen Zs
- An unmatched sense of community, coupled with feelings of excitement (70%) and even euphoria (32%), keeps live music a priority amongst consumers
- Gen Z lead the superfan revival, with 41% dressing up and 12% even getting a tattoo as ways of connecting with their favourite artists and fellow fans
London, 30 September 2025: As a nation of live entertainment fanatics, nearly half (48%) of all live music fans1 agree that they strongly or very strongly identify with the fan communities of their favourite artists, with new research showing that consumers continue to prioritise live events in search of the positive emotions and strong connections that they create.
Banding together
According to The Live Effect – a new report from AEG Global Partnerships, the sponsorship arm of the world’s leading sport and live entertainment company – fans’ sense of identity is tied to music and their favourite artists, with 79% agreeing that live music creates a sense of community that digital entertainment cannot match.
For many, this shared identity creates feelings of belonging and emotional connection, with 70% saying they have felt ‘at home’ among people who understand them at a live music event. Remarkably, 63% reported making an immediate connection with strangers at live events, and half (53%) even feeling more understood by fellow fans than by people in their everyday lives.
This strong sense of community, combined with feelings of excitement (70%), joy (63%) and even euphoria (32%) felt at live events, makes fans unwilling to forego these experiences. Even during times of economic uncertainty, research showed that 46% of fans would prioritise spending on live entertainment.
The superfan revival
From bald caps to ‘brat green’, this year’s live music events have shown that many passionate fans will go the extra mile to feel like part …