Seventy per cent of music fans would rather attend a live show than have sex, according to a new survey.
Live Nation’s global ‘Living For Life’ report is based on insights from 40,000 people across 15 markets. It found that concerts are now the world’s top form of entertainment, overtaking sports, movies and sex.
The results show that nearly four in 10 people globally (39 per cent) would choose live music over any other form of entertainment if they could only pick one for life, ranking it above seeing films in cinemas (17 per cent) and attending sports events (14 per cent).
Live Nation stated that people are over two times more likely to choose a gig by their favourite artist over sex. Per the survey, 70 per cent would pick a concert while 30 per cent would pick sex.
“In 2025 alone, more than 130 million fans have already bought tickets,” the report reads.
“Stadium attendance has tripled year-over-year, festivals sell out faster than ever, and with 10+ new large-scale venues opening worldwide in 2026, the movement is only accelerating.”
It adds that music being the top form of entertainment globally “isn’t a passing trend”, but rather “a cultural reset shifting how people spend their time, shape their identities, connect, and share their stories”.
The survey “captures how fans are fueling the biggest tours in history, the fastest festival sell-outs, and a movement that crosses oceans. They line up for days, travel across continents, and build their lives around the calendar of live music.”
Elsewhere, the report indicates that 93 per cent of people “crave real experiences over digital ones”, and 80 per cent would rather spend their money on “experiences than things”.
Additionally, 70 per cent plan travel and half plan outfits weeks in advance. Three out of four said that a trip makes a show more meaningful. Nearly 80 per cent of respondents claimed that live music brings their family closer together.
“In an age of AI and algorithms, concerts are the antidote – the most emotionally intense shared experience on earth. 85 per cent of fans leave euphoric, with Millennials rating that intensity highest,” the survey explains.
Russell Wallach, Live Nation’s Global President of Media and Sponsorship, said: “Live music isn’t just growing, it’s shaping economies, influencing brands, and defining culture in real time.
“Fans have made live the heartbeat of global entertainment, and it’s now one of the most powerful forces driving connection and growth worldwide.”
According to the survey, female artists are “defining culture’s biggest moments”. It states that 76 per cent of fans are interested in live events headlined by women, citing huge tours by Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo and Lady Gaga.
You can read Live Nation’s ‘Living For Life’ report in full here.
In February 2024, the entertainment giant reported its biggest year yet in 2023, taking into account both concert attendance and ticket sales. Last month, a call for Live Nation to be broken up for exceeding the “market dominance” of gigs was put out by the Association Of Independent Festivals (AIF).
A study last year found that Deftones are the most popular metal band to listen to during sex. They were also the only band from a hard rock or metal category to be featured in the overall top 10, which included the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Lana Del Rey.
In 2017, a study stated that music affected the brain in a very similar way to sex and drugs.
