EUROPE THE BIG PICTURE W
ith more that 740million inhabitants, Europe’s multiple countries, currencies, cultures and languages, on paper, make the continent a complex proposition for touring artists and productions. However, the general affluence of its populace and the ease with which people and goods can traverse borderless frontiers make Europe the number one destination for most international artists with live ambitions. A total of 69 venues around Europe participated in the surveys for this inaugural European Arena Yearbook (EAY), with the UK’s National Arenas Association (NAA), the European Arenas Association (EAA) and the EAY combining data from their various bespoke reports to deliver results and analysis for 2016, as well as looking forward to predict business growth. Detailed regional breakdowns can be found later in the publication, but to compare and contrast those regional reports to the European averages, this section provides an overview of all surveyed respondents.
Attendance
Across our surveyed venues, more than 32million people attended shows and events in 2016, with the UK & Ireland polishing its king of live entertainment crown with more than 11m attendees, thanks in no small part to its established network of major arenas (there are now 21 member venues in the National Arenas Association). Live music proved to be the most popular genre throughout Europe, claiming 39.3% of overall shows, with sport accounting for 31.7% of dates and family shows taking a 17.2% share (see chart on page 22). And music also proved to be the biggest draw among ticket buyers throughout the continent, with average attendances of 7,359, well above the European average of 5,826 for arena events in 2016. Indeed, of the 32m people who visited our surveyed arenas for an event, more than 16m (or 49.6% of the total attendees) were live music fans. With many venues also
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providing a home for local sports franchises, those attending sporting events accounted for 25.3% of total European arena audiences in 2016, while family events chalked up 15.2%. However, in terms of spending power, revenues from live music, at £868.5million (€988.2m), accounted for a whopping 60.5% of the pot, with sport comparably at 17.6% of total spend, and family shows with 15.4%. One notable statistic in the analysis of attendance figures was the average attendance numbers enjoyed in southern Europe: 9,434 – significantly above the European average of 5,826. Although the format of this EAY's surveys differed from IQ Magazine’s annual European Arena Report, the statistics on venue usage are useful when analysing the year-on-year events hosted by European arenas. Anecdotally, many promoters around Europe say that 2016 was a tricky year due to the lack of international acts that were out touring. This is highlighted by the fact that music's share of venue nights dropped to below 40% for the first time in five years – 39% compared to a sizeable 48% just a year earlier. By and large, venue usage over the past few years has been fairly constant (see chart on page 26) and with promoters already reporting a significant boost in concert bookings for 2017, it's expected that music will rebound above the 40% mark for overall venue usage in next year's survey.
Ticket prices
Unsurprisingly, given its financial dominance of the arenas business, average ticket prices for live music were the highest among the genres that use these venues. While the average ticket price across all events was €44.34 in 2016, music rode high at €54.01, with sports tickets in arenas averaging €30.74, and family shows costing parents an average of €45.02 per head. Perhaps underlining the economic status of their local populace, the Nordics, the GAS region, and France & Benelux reported higher than average ticket prices for music events. The strongest arenas