Are big events worth the bother? It depends on what you want from the day and what the whole outing costs you. A concert, festival or major sporting fixture tends to be worth it when its main draw matters a lot to you and the full cost, travel and time fit your life. If they don’t, skipping it is a sound value decision.
The published evidence covers live music, the arts and consumer live-event attendance. It can’t show that every kind of large event pays off in the same way. It does show which costs people underestimate, and it gives you a way to judge a specific event.
The ticket is only part of the price
Santander UK’s 2026 Gigflation Index estimates that a typical UK gig or festival night out cost £128 in 2025, up from £41 in 2000. That figure combines estimated spending on tickets, booking fees, food and drink, transport and merchandise. The comparison excludes VIP packages, resale tickets and dynamic “platinum” pricing, so real outlays for in-demand shows can be higher. The index is UK-specific and was commissioned by Santander, so treat it as a guide to how costs stack up rather than a current price for any given event.
Frances Haque, an economist at Santander UK, said: “Live music remains one of the UK’s most valued social and cultural experiences, but the cost of attending major concerts and festivals has increased dramatically over the past two decades.”
Deloitte’s mid-2024 survey of about 3,500 U.S. consumers found the mean single-ticket spend among recent concert attendees was US$150, and US$132 for professional sporting events. Those are what respondents reported spending, not recommended budgets.
How many people skip events because of cost
- United States: In the same Deloitte survey, nearly 60% said they had not attended a live event they wanted to attend because it cost too much.
- Australia: Creative Australia’s national survey of people aged 15 and over found 74% attended at least one live arts event or festival in 2025. Yet 60% named ticket or entry cost as the biggest barrier, and 55% had missed a desired event because of cost.
Both things can be true at once: most people go to something, and many still pass on events they want. If you hesitate over the price, you’re in a large group. None of these figures measure whether people later felt an event was worth it, so they say nothing about satisfaction.
Travel and time cost more than money
A 2024 AAA and Bread Financial survey of younger travelers listed ticket and travel costs among the leading reasons people didn’t travel for live events. Budget or debt worries, being unable to take time off, inflation and transport hassles were also reported. Its findings are age-specific, so don’t assume they describe every eventgoer.
The practical lesson is to count the non-money burdens too: distance, overnight stays, time off work and the journey home. If you share your home with animals, add the arrangements for their care while you’re away or out late. Whether that means a sitter, a boarding place or a favour from a friend, it’s part of the real effort, and it may tip a marginal event either way.
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A peer-reviewed 2021 study by Mulder and colleagues surveyed 1,131 live-music attendees and identified six motivations. Social and personal motivations predominated for festivals. Artistic motivations and the uniqueness of the live experience predominated for concerts. The study covers popular live music only, so don’t carry its ranking over to sports, conferences or other large events.
It still suggests a useful question: is the draw the performer, the shared atmosphere, time with friends, or a personal milestone? A festival you’d attend mainly for the company may be worth more with the right group and less on your own. A concert you’d attend for one artist is worth more if you’d be happy to see that artist at a smaller venue, and worth less if the huge arena dilutes it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A five-point check for any event
1. Total cost
Add the ticket, fees, local transport or travel, accommodation, food and drink, merchandise and any pet-care costs. Compare the total with your own budget, not with a general sense of what events “should” cost.
2. Personal value
Name the single biggest benefit you expect. If you can’t, that is informative.
Best Value
3. Travel and time burden
Count hours, not only money: the journey, queues, time off work, and recovery the next day.
4. Alternatives
If price is the sticking point, consider a cheaper date or seat, a smaller local event, attending fewer events but choosing them more carefully, or following coverage from home. These are sensible options, not outcomes tested by the surveys above.
5. Preparation
For loud live music, NIOSH guidance suggests earplugs, breaks in quieter areas and moving around the venue to find a quieter spot. It notes that musicians’ earplugs reduce sound intensity while keeping sound relatively faithful. NIOSH also cautions that its occupational recommended exposure limit isn’t designed to protect against recreational exposure such as concerts and sporting events, so don’t treat workplace thresholds as a safe cutoff for a night out. Precautions reduce risk but don’t guarantee safety.
A simple test
If the event’s most important benefit is worth the all-in cost to you, and the travel, time and practical demands are manageable, it may be worth going. If not, skipping this one is a reasonable choice. This is decision guidance, not a research finding. No study establishes a universal price at which an event becomes “worth it,” or proves that attending a particular event improves wellbeing.
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