30% look at the line-up’s diversity before booking

Good representation onstage matters.

As the world gets more connected and the public seek out more diverse acts, this is now increasingly reflected in festival line-ups.

Nearly half of all who were asked said that gender equality on festival line-ups has improved over the years, yet a similar number want to see more events with equal representation. This mindset is also more likely to be held by younger people and people with more festivals under their belt.

Whilst older festival-goers are less likely to want more gender diversity in their line-ups, they are more likely to be attracted to festivals with more women on the bill. Across the board, it’s clear that a diverse line-up is a key attraction for all.

With this push in equality coming from the festival-goers themselves, how do we envision change for the future? Most believe it’s the responsibility of the festival organisers to make sure their line-ups are as diverse as possible, and with things moving forward already, a little encouragement from the public will undoubtedly bring about even more change.

Now, with nearly a third of people considering their line-up before booking their tickets, the future of festival diversity is looking bright.

Return to State of Play: Festivals

Header photo by Sarah Koury/Latitude