Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player
Live events can offer an experience like no other—a shared understanding between thousands of fans cheering their team on or singing with their favourite musicians. However, with ticket prices for live events constantly rising, and in particular falling attendances at events like the Cheltenham Festival 2025, where Wednesday had the lowest number of spectators this decade, many fans are choosing to stay at home, perhaps looking to save on travel and tickets, make their bets at home on betting sites and betting apps instead.
But what does the general public think?
We surveyed over 2,000 people in the UK to determine the general public’s opinion on ticket prices and how this affects their attendance. We’ve also investigated the impact of digital tickets on fan experiences.
Ticket prices: standout stats
Nearly three in ten (29%) of 25 to 34-year-olds no longer attend entertainment events due to high ticket prices.
Almost half (45%) of men attend fewer sporting events due to high ticket prices.
Nearly half (48%) of Glaswegians attend fewer sports events due to high ticket prices.
Over a quarter (27%) of men think football tickets are too high.
One in five women (19%) have stopped attending entertainment events due to high ticket prices.
Almost 3 in 10 (28%) Mancunians think digital tickets have made attending entertainment events harder.
Over a quarter of Bristolians (27%) have stopped attending entertainment events due to high ticket prices.
14% of 18 to 25-year-olds think digital tickets are offputting.
A quarter (25%) of women think digital tickets are easier.
Rising ticket prices have made half (50%) of Belfast residents consider boycotting football matches.
How do rising ticket prices affect attendance?
As ticket prices for live in-person entertainment and sporting events continue to increase, questions arise about the impact this will have on fans. Some are already outraged with the onset of additional fees and dynamic pricing.
The Premier League has even faced calls from the Football Supporters' Association to freeze ticket prices this season. But what do the general public think about rising ticket prices?
How do rising ticket costs affect entertainment event attendance?
Our survey revealed that ticket price hikes have led to the majority of the general public attending fewer gigs…
44% of people aren’t splashing out as much on concert tickets. This is more prevalent with men (46%), who are 4% more likely to cut back on concertgoing than women (42%).
Just under a quarter (24%) of our survey weren’t put off by rising ticket prices. People aged 55 to 64 were the least concerned age group, with over a third (34%) agreeing that it hadn’t affected their attendance at entertainment events, compared to 16% of 35 to 44-year-olds.
Due to rocketing ticket prices, 16% of people surveyed avoid live entertainment entirely. Bristolians are the biggest drivers of this boycott; over one in four (27%) have stopped attending entertainment events.
How do rising ticket costs affect sports event attendance?
According to our survey, almost two-fifths of fans attend fewer sports events due to rising ticket prices…
Nearly half of 18 to 24-year-olds and 35 to 44-year-olds (47% and 46%, respectively) are being selective with their attendance. Interestingly, this proportion drops for fans between those age brackets (25 to 34) to slightly over a third (36%).
Liverpool matches are unlikely to see a drop in attendance given the brilliant performance levels of the team each match and extremely high demand for tickets, and fans will be even happier with the the club’s decision to freeze ticket prices this season. Just under three in 10 Liverpudlians (28%) say ticket prices haven’t affected their attendance. The same proportion of Mancunians also agreed that it doesn’t affect their attendance, but they have reduced spending in other areas to afford tickets.
Women are slightly less likely to skip live sports altogether, at just below 20%, contrasting with more than one in five (22%) men who say the cost of watching live sports in person hasn’t affected their attendance. Almost one in six (14%) men are prepared to sacrifice spending in other areas, compared to just under one in 10 women (9%).
How many football fans boycott matches due to ticket prices?
Around one in six (17%) football fans are already boycotting football matches due to high ticket prices…
One Manchester United fan on X (formerly Twitter) described rising prices as “ripping off fans” and “absolutely shameless by the club.”
Fans aged 35 to 44 are the most likely to boycott, with a quarter (25%) admitting they’ve already stopped attending matches. Slightly over two-fifths (41%) of fans between 25 and 34 are considering boycotts.
Split by gender, men are more likely to think football ticket prices are too high than women. Over a quarter of men (27%) agreed with this sentiment, compared to just under a fifth (18%) of women.
What do people think about digital tickets?
Most people (46%) agreed that digital tickets made no difference when attending events…
However, over a third (36%) of people aged 25 to 44 are less likely to find them inconvenient than older generations. Meanwhile, 17% of those over 65 said digital tickets made attendance harder. Surprisingly, almost one in six (14%) 18 to 24-year-olds share this opinion.
According to our survey, men find it harder to understand digital tickets than women. One in six men (15%) agreed that digital tickets have made attending events harder, compared to just over one in 10 women (11%).
Digital tickets are being shunned in Sheffield. Over a quarter (27%) of respondents from the city have never used digital tickets, compared to slightly less than 10% of people in Belfast and Manchester. Londoners are the most tech-savvy; a third (33%) agreed that digital tickets are easier. On the other hand, only 13% of Cardiff residents thought the same.
The most common ticket perceptions across major UK cities
Across the UK, sports fans are attending fewer events due to rising ticket prices. Residents of major cities such as Glasgow, Bristol, London, Edinburgh, and Leeds are all taking a stance by attending fewer events…
Regionally, Scottish fans are the most likely to attend fewer events due to rising costs, at just under half (46%). Slightly fewer (44%) Northern Irish fans share the same sentiment, followed by over two-fifths (41%) of respondents in South East England.
Welsh fans are the least likely to attend fewer events thanks to spiralling ticket prices at just under a third (31%). Interestingly, they’re also the most likely to boycott. Rising ticket prices have encouraged over two-fifths (22%) to stop attending events entirely.
Methodology
We surveyed 2,000 people in the UK, asking the questions:
Has the rising cost of entertainment events (such as music concerts, etc.) impacted your attendance?
Has the rising cost of sporting events impacted your attendance?
Would you consider boycotting professional football matches due to ticket prices?
How have digital tickets impacted your experience attending events?
The survey was carried out and is correct as of February 2025.
