The average American reports they are willing to travel over 600 miles just to see their favorite artists live.
Upgraded Points recently unveiled the results of their latest data study exploring the power of musical fandom to get people out of their homes and on the road. Whether it be the cheers of a crowd, the pulsing lights, the thumping bass, or just to hear their favorite songs from a live stage, loyal followers of artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift will go to impressive lengths for the chance to hear their favorite music. But just how far are fans willing to go to see these cherished artists in person?
"We've always known the influence that music has and our study further proves that," says Alex Miller, Founder of Upgraded Points. "Fans are willing to travel farther and spare no expense just for the chance to stand in the crowd and experience their favorites live."
Study Methodology
Upgraded Points surveyed over 3,000 Americans asking a variety of questions regarding how far fans would travel for a concert, the price they were willing to pay for tickets, whether they would pull from their savings or take on debt to make those purchases, and their willingness to fly somewhere for a concert. The questions and answers were ranked with a scoring system ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 100 represents the most fanatically loyal fan base possible. To create the Fandom and Genre Index scores, participants were asked an array of questions to determine overall loyalty to their preferred artists and genres.
Boundless Devotion of Fans
Some fans are willing to go the extra mile when it comes to seeing their favorite artist live. Whether it's dipping into their savings or crossing state lines, the survey found that Americans are devoted to music.
- The average American reports they are willing to travel over 600 miles just to see their favorite artists live.
- Gen Z are the biggest fans of live music and are willing to travel the furthest to hear it – over 800 miles.
- 43.5% of fans say a buy, now pay later option would entice them to see their favorite artist more.
- 1 in 10 fans would go into debt to see their favorite artist if that was their only option.
- 12.9% – That's how much of their savings the average American would dish out to see their favorite artist
The Most Loyal Fanbases
The fact that boy bands continue to command large crowds probably comes as no surprise to anyone. The sheer staying power of these iconic groups is impressive: from the Beatles to One Direction and the popularity of K-pop superstars like BTS. But the top ten list of the most loyal fans also includes many solo artists:
- Blowing all other fanbases away with a whopping fanbase score of 88.4, BTS fans are willing to travel an average of 2,040 miles just to see the band in concert – the absolute furthest of any fan base.
- The King of Pop also made the top 10 list. Fans of Michael Jackson said they're willing to spend an average of $660 per ticket if they could see him perform again.
- Swifties have been in the news lately showcasing the lengths they will go to avoid missing a single moment of a Taylor Swift concert – including wearing adult diapers, and paying over $300 for tickets.
Fans can also crash ticket-selling sites just to get access. For example, Ticketmaster crashed in 2022 due to fans clamoring to see Taylor Swift on "The Eras Tour." And pop fans are very patient when it comes to getting what they want – 22% of pop fans reported they were basically willing to wait indefinitely for tickets if necessary.
To find more interesting insights, please visit the complete study.