Australia’s live sector generates $1 billion in ticket sales

06 September 2010

by Christie Eliezer

Despite the global financial meltdown, Australia’s live sector still generated $1.083 billion in revenue last year. This marked a 3.3% rise from the year before.

This is according to the 'Ticket Attendance & Revenue Survey 2009' released today by Live Performance Australia [LPA], the peak body for Australia’s live entertainment and performing arts industry.

But total ticket sales were down by 3.96% to 15.1 million, due to the uncertain economic times. “We expect an upwards trend in 2011,” LPA’s Melbourne-based CEO Evelyn Richardson told TMN.

The largest growth was by contemporary music, which generated a 18.3% rise in revenue to $460.44 million. In terms of revenue, it has 42.5% of the market, compared to 36.7% in 2008. In terms of ticket sales, contemporary music shifted 4.68 million tickets, a rise of 8.1% which gives it a 30.8% market share. “The growth of this sector was attributed to tours by Pink, Britney Spears and Coldplay,” Richardson says.

In terms of revenue, the market share of other sectors were musical theatre (19.8%), theatre (7%), classical music (6.60%), ballet and dance (5.40%), single festivals which includes events as Big Day Out, V Festival, Summadayze and Future Music (5.10%), opera (4.10%), children/family (2.90%), comedy (2.60%), special events (2.20%), multi-festivals (1%), and the new stand-alone category of circus and physical theatre (0.80%).

This year’s survey also saw the figures being divided by states. NSW was 35.4% share of the industry based on $383.7 million in revenue and 34.1% share from 5.17 million ticket sales.

Victoria had 32.1% share in revenue ($347.3 million) and 31.2% in ticket sales (4.744 million).

The other states, in terms of revenue, were Queensland (13.6%), Western Australia (9.7%), South Australia (7.6%), ACT (1.3%), Tasmania (0.3%) and Northern Territory (0.0%).

In previous years, the LPA has warned that its survey figures were conservative. It includes major ticketing agencies as Ticketmaster and Ticketek and all the major venues. But it does not include data from many regional areas.

This year, it has included venues like Arts Projects Australia and Melbourne’s The Arts Centre who have set up their own ticketing sales in the last 12 months.

Richardson says, “Next year we’ll be getting a much larger picture, by also using data by (online ticketing agency) Moshtix and working with APRA to cover venues like hotels and sporting clubs.”

Tonight, the LPA is presenting the 42-category Helpmann Awards at the Sydney Opera House, hosted by David Campbell. It is broadcast live on Foxtel’s STVDIO channel. Composer Tony Gould and Playbill executive chairman Brian Nebenzahl will be honored for their contribution to the live sector.