A booming music superfan revival is being caused by a longing for a sense of community, belonging and excitement that fandoms and concerts provide, new research has found.
The survey of 3,000 UK adults – taken between April and May this year – found that 70 per cent of live music fans have felt “at home” among people who understand them while attending gigs.
Gen Z fans are the most likely generation to be part of a fandom, with 41 per cent dressing up for concerts and 12 per cent even getting tattoos as a way to connect with their favourite artist.
The research also suggests that almost half (48 per cent) of fans “strongly identify” with the fan communities of their favourite artists, this figure increases to 65 per cent among Gen Z concertgoers.
Perhaps most remarkably, 63 per cent of those surveyed by live entertainment company AEG, reported making an immediate connection with strangers at live music events.
Half (53 per cent) of participants in the survey even said they felt more understood by fellow fans at concerts than they did by people close to them in their everyday lives.
Strong senses of community, excitement, joy, and euphoria felt at live events have made fans willing to spend large sums of money on concert tickets – even at times of economic uncertainty.
Of those surveyed, 46 per cent said they would prioritise spending money on live entertainment over other needs amid the high cost of living.
Recent popular tour fandoms include Taylor Swift’s “Swifties”, Beyoncé’s “Beehive”, and, most recently, Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” who will take over London’s O2 Arena for three nights in October.
As Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, brought her Mayhem Ball tour to the 20,000 capacity stadium on Monday (29 September), fans could be seen dressed in the singer’s theatrical style.
Notable trends included pops of red, large bows, lace, leather, latex, chainmail, sequins, black, burgundy and tulle, causing many to question whether Gaga is this generation’s Madonna.
Paul Samuels, president of global partnerships at AEG, said: “Live music brings people together like nothing else and passionate Gen Zs are giving a whole new meaning to the word superfan.”
“Throughout a busy summer of live events, we have seen fans embrace their shared love of specific artists and genres, with many going to extremes to make their experiences more memorable and mark themselves as part of fan communities.”
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