Monday, May 27, 2024 — 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, which launched in Australia this year, has today 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% of Aussies have attended at least one live event in the past year. 44% attend 1-3 live events a year, while one quarter (25%) attend between 4 and 11 per year. Legacy ticketing platforms continue to dominate the market, with 67% of Aussies typically buying tickets to live events through the major ticketing companies, compared to just 20% who buy through event websites and 11% 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%) agree that tickets to live events are too expensive, with just 3% 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% 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% 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% of Aussies ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they’d be more accepting of ticketing fees if there was 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% 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% of Aussies said they’d rather pay lower fees and choose which charity to give to themselves. Meanwhile, 23% 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, waiting until close to the event to buy tickets. This has played its part in several festivals pulling the plug in 2024 after they haven’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% said the biggest factor that would make them more likely to buy tickets early would be lower ticketing fees and cheaper tickets.
Eventfinda TixSuite CEO, James McGlinn, said: “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 event tickets.
“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.
ABOUT EVENTFINDA:
Eventfinda was founded in 2006 as an events calendar but quickly saw the demand for a well-designed ticketing system which put the needs of venues, promoters and consumers on an equal footing. In 2009 they launched their first in-house developed ticketing platform and since then have issued almost 10 million tickets to over 150,000 events in Australia and New Zealand. Eventfinda is now New Zealand’s largest independent ticketing company but their DNA as an events marketing organisation remains. Eventfinda is the only organisation in Australasia offering an ever-evolving audience development and engagement suite combining an events discovery site and a ticketing platform. They pride themselves on their industry-leading technology and personalised service and are committed to helping event organisers and promoters achieve their goals.
ABOUT TIXSUITE:
TixSuite was launched in 2024 by New Zealand's largest independent ticketing company, Eventfinda. TixSuite offers a three-tier subscription model that enables venues, event organisers and promoters to use its proprietary software and take control of their ticketing for an affordable monthly rate. There are no per-ticket fees to the ticket purchaser or event organiser, instead, Tixsuite offers the organiser the option to determine their own fees giving them the flexibility to decide what fees, if any, they charge. Any fees they do charge are theirs to keep. Crucially, TixSuite enables event organisers to receive all their ticketing revenue immediately, removing cash flow delays.