New report reveals that 70% of people would “rather go to a gig than have sex”

A new report from Live Nation has revealed that 70% of music fans would rather attend a gig than have sex, valuing live music over other forms of entertainment.

The report, titled Living For Live, surveyed 40,000 people around the world to find out how fans interact with live music, and how music shapes their identity.

It discovered that, if limited to just one for the rest of their lives, fans ranked concerts as the world’s top form of entertainment - trumping sport events, movies at the cinema, and even sex.

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Stats revealed that fans are more than twice as likely to choose a gig with their favourite artist over sex, with 39% choosing live music as their top form of entertainment.

The report also found that more than 70% of those surveyed plan to travel for live shows, while three in four said that the journey makes a live music event “more meaningful”.

Almost 80% of respondents said that music brings their family closer together, while 77% said that music crowds make them feel part of “something bigger”. Another 76% of fans said they’re interested in live events headlined by women.

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While the report highlights the importance of going to gigs for many people, Live Nation recently came under fire for holding monopolistic domination over music events, forcing customers to pay high prices for tickets due to a lack of competition.

In September, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) called for the breakup of Live Nation, with data reportedly showing that the entertainment giant and affiliated companies “control the majority of arena, stadium and outdoor concert tickets in 2025”.

In the same week, Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino claimed that gig tickets are “underpriced”, and argued that rising ticket prices are due to “investment in the experience”.

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Data from live industry trade publication Pollstar found that average ticket prices rose more than 20% in 2023 to $130.81 (around £104) globally.

Live Nation’s Living For Live report celebrates the enormous expenditure by music fans on events, revealing that more than 130 million people have purchased tickets for live music events in 2025 alone, with stadium attendance tripling year-on-year.

It also noted that more than 10 new large-scale venues are opening worldwide in 2026. Meanwhile, a report from Music Venue Trust (MVT) in January found that a UK grassroots music venue was shuttered every two weeks in 2024.

Read Live Nation's Living For Live report here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter