Demand for live events remains high, but Aussies have had enough of ‘junk’ ticketing fees charged by legacy ticketing platforms, according to a new study commissioned by Eventfinda TixSuite which dives into the consumer experience of purchasing tickets in 2024.
TixSuite, a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) ticketing software model that launched in Australia this year, has published the findings of its first ticketing sentiment report. The research was conducted by Pureprofile with a nationally representative sample of 1,010 18 to 64-year-olds.
The report found that 81 per cent of Aussies have attended at least one live event in the past year. 44 per cent attend 1-3 live events a year, while one quarter (25 per cent) attend between 4 and 11 per year. Legacy ticketing platforms continue to dominate the market, with 67 per cent of Aussies typically buying tickets to live events through the major ticketing companies, compared to just 20 per cent who buy through event websites and 11 per cent who purchase via venue websites.
The cost of living crisis has been felt keenly in the live events sector and those who attend live events. The majority of Aussies (79 per cent) agree that tickets to live events are too expensive, with just 3 per cent disagreeing with this sentiment. Despite that strain, many are copping the hit to their back pocket and spending eye-watering sums on their favourite concerts and sporting events. TixSuite’s report found that 35 per cent of Aussies are spending over $100 per ticket on average.
So, what gripes do Aussies have with ticketing for live events? ‘Junk’ fees – fees that are mandatory during the purchase of tickets but whose purpose isn’t disclosed – are a primary source of annoyance and confusion. Only 40 per cent of Australians say they understand the various fees and charges around tickets and what they are for. More transparency around these fees would significantly help the problem though. 72 per cent of Aussies ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they’d be more accepting of ticketing fees if there were more transparency around why they were charged.
Other common complaints Aussies have when purchasing tickets online for live events include high waiting times, hidden costs, ticketing websites crashing, ‘delivery’ fees being charged for e-tickets, and scalpers listing tickets that are fake or charging exorbitant prices on resale websites.
All of this has led Aussies to have low levels of trust in ticketing providers. Just 21 per cent agreed that providers had the best interest of consumers at heart. Ticketing providers that give their profits to charity aren’t faring much better despite their noble causes. If given the option, 53 per cent of Aussies said they’d rather pay lower fees and choose which charity to give to themselves. Meanwhile, 23 per cent say they just want the cheapest tickets available.
A growing trend in purchasing behaviour has seen Aussies shirk buying tickets when they go on sale and, rather, wait until close to the event to buy tickets. This has played its part in several festivals pulling the plug in 2024 after they hadn’t been able to sell enough tickets quickly. Aussie ticket-buyers say they are less concerned with factors like big international headliners and more with the cost of tickets. 78 per cent said the biggest factor that would make them more likely to buy tickets early would be lower ticketing fees and cheaper tickets.
“It is clear that Aussies continue to value experiences very highly, with many continuing to spend money on attending live events even as the cost of living continues to rise. They also continue to attend events despite many having a range of grievances with the way ticketing is done in Australia, and unsurprisingly, we’ve found that the majority would like more transparency from ticketing providers when it comes to the fees attached to most live events tickets,” said James McGlinn, Eventfinda TixSuite CEO.
“This research confirms our thoughts that ticketing in Australia is broken and ripe for disruption, with trust in ticketing providers running low. Not only does the current model frustrate ticket purchasers, but also presents issues for promoters and venues running events. Not only are they forced to pass on per-ticket fees to ticket purchasers, but they also endure cashflow issues with ticketing providers holding cash from sales until after their event, which increases the risk events will be cancelled, so ticket buyers miss out”.
Eventfinda launched its new-look software-as-a-service (SaaS) ticketing system, TixSuite, in Australia in March 2024. TixSuite’s disruptive software model aims to fix the broken and outdated methods of legacy ticketing services by giving venues, promoters, and event organisers control over their ticketing like never before for an affordable fixed monthly rate.
