What States’ Concert-Goers Have the Worst Behavior?
First, we wanted to see where in the U.S. concert etiquette is the biggest issue, so we asked survey participants if they had noticed an uptick in bad behavior at live events in the recent past.
Kentucky and Maine have the most disruptive concert crowds, with a whopping 67% of respondents noting that behavior at live events has recently gotten worse. Just over 62% of concert attendees in North Carolina reported an increase in bad behavior.
More than half of all concert-goers in 11 other states responded similarly. These included Nevada, Mississippi, Virginia, Nebraska, Vermont, Missouri, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, and Maryland.
Incredibly, 0% of concert attendees in eight states responded that they saw an increase in bad behavior at live events. If you’re looking to catch a Taylor Swift concert and don’t want a fellow attendee screaming in your ear or getting up in your space, look for performances in Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, or Wyoming.
The Most Common Concert Faux Pas
Next, we wanted to know: what exactly are concert-goers doing that’s so disrespectful? We asked our survey participants what behaviors they were witnessing at the live events they had attended in the recent past.
The most common issue people see at live events is excessive use of smartphones, with nearly 70% of respondents having witnessed this issue. And seriously…we get that you’re always on your phone, but how about putting it down for a few hours and just enjoying yourself?
Just under 50% of respondents had witnessed loud talking, a lack of respect for personal space, and littering.
There’s no way to rationalize all of these behaviors, and with so many concert attendees noticing an increase in their occurrence, this does seem to be an issue. Thankfully, some of the more serious offenses, like vandalism, harassment, and bullying, were the least likely to occur, all being reported by fewer than 10% of concert attendees.
Does Gen Z Not Know How to Act at Concerts?
So, there’s clearly an issue with bad behavior at live events becoming more prevalent, but what’s the cause? Has the pandemic made people forget how to act in public? Does Gen Z just lack self-awareness and respect for others? We asked respondents if they believed the newest generation of live event attendees was the culprit.
Of the Gen Z concert-goers, 44% noticed that behavior at concerts has gotten worse in the recent past. Compared to the 67% of all attendees that agree, this does suggest that Gen Z may just lack awareness that they are the issue. Plus, 42% of Gen Zers believe that their own generation is mostly to blame for the worsening behavior at live events.
If you’re looking to avoid Gen Zers ruining your experience, steer clear of concerts in Maryland at all costs. Around two-thirds of all attendees in the state noted that Gen Z had exhibited poor concert etiquette in the past year. More than 50% of attendees in eight other states agreed: Virginia, Connecticut, Oregon, Kentucky, North Carolina, Iowa, Texas, and Utah.
Poor Etiquette Could Put Concerts in Danger
Aside from ruining other people’s experiences at live events, the worsening concert etiquette being seen by people across the nation could have more serious implications.
A disconcerting 70% of all survey participants stated that they would be inclined to avoid live shows in the future because they believe behaviors exhibited at those in the past are only getting worse. With so many willing to throw in the towel on attending concerts, poor etiquette could lead to lower demand, which may have an adverse effect on the industry as a whole.
On the other hand, 42% of survey participants believed that an increased demand for live show tickets has led to aggressive behavior from crowds. A dip in ticket buyers could ease tensions and help reduce those poor behaviors.
Wrapping Up: The Future of Live Events
Unfortunately, our survey data suggests that the future of concerts could be in flux due to a recent uptick in disruptive behavior at live events. It’s not clear why behavior at concerts has gotten worse recently, but people are quickest to point the finger at the younger generation, the pandemic, and increased demand for tickets.
Methodology
Between April 5th and 6th of 2023, we surveyed 1,003 U.S. concert-goers from all 50 states. We only surveyed individuals who had attended at least one concert since the beginning of the year, which led to a high percentage of Millennials (47%). Baby Boomers, the least likely to attend live events, only represented 6% of the respondents.
Just over half of our participants were male, 46% were female, and 3% identified as non-binary or other.
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