Australia’s Live Entertainment Industry Feels The Pinch From Escalating Costs

SYDNEY, Australia — Concerts are still a huge drawcard in Australia, but the wider live events industry isn’t a picture of rude health.

According to newly-published data from Live Performance Australia, concert fans bought more than 13.7 million tickets last year, down 2.4% from the prior year, generating revenue of A$1.8 billion ($1.25 billion), slipping 0.9% from the all-time mark set in 2024.

The result would’ve been worse had it not been for an exceptional run of stadium shows and high-profile international tours from the likes of Lady Gaga, Oasis, AC/DC, Luke Combs, Drake, Tyler The Creator, Billie Eilish, Metallica and Kendrick Lamar.

The business for contemporary music concerts was, by some distance, the leader in both share of revenue (53.5%) and attendance (44.8%) last year.

The average ticket price for contemporary concerts lifted by 2.0% year-on-year to A$138.15 ($96) in 2025, which partially offset the decline in revenue.

Despite a string of high-profile brands collapsing or pressing pause, Australia’s network of contemporary music festivals shifted 2.1 million tickets in 2025, by 4.9% from the previous year, and reported total revenue at a tick under A$400 million ($280 million), up by 20.7% year-on-year.

Together, the business of concerts and festivals was the strong suit for Australia’s live performance industry, accounting for more than 65% of total revenue and upwards of 51% of total attendance.

“These results were attributable to a strong array of major international tours and festival line ups, attracting higher average ticket prices,” explains the report’s editors.

Overall, the live performance industry was down slightly to A$3.4 billion ($2.37 billion) in ticket revenue.

Ticketed attendance dipped by 2.4% to 30.7 million, as seven of the 12 categories posted year-on-year erosion, as promoters grappled with challenging business conditions, while punters counted their dollars, resulting in changing ticket-buying behavior.

During the reporting period, average ticket prices lifted by 14.1% per cent to A$206.17 ($144), which contributed to the growth in revenue and reflected increased costs for organizers, reads a statement from LPA.

“While this is the highest-ever recorded for the industry, it only partially offset rising costs experienced across the economy, given that Australia’s headline inflation rate in 2025 was 3.8%,” reads the LPA’s 2025 Live Performance Attendance and Revenue Report.

Still, the headline results are the second-highest results since the annual report was first published in 2004.