The 2024 festival season is here, and we're excited to share some trends with you! We'll be looking at fan attendance, spending trends by genre and festival size, as well as new merchandise items you should consider. Let's dive in!

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This Season's Festival Merchandise Trends At A Glance

• On average, fans are now spending $75 on merchandise, which is a 15% increase from 2023. This increase is due to a slight rise in average item prices and fans buying more items, particularly accessory items, compared to previous years.
• The most popular accessory items are koozies, posters, tote bags, bandanas, and stickers.
• Festivals featuring touring artists tend to generate higher fan spending on both artist and festival merchandise.

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Spending Trends: What’s Changed?

The average festival-goer is now spending more on merchandise in 2024, with an average spend of $75 per person compared to around $65 in 2023. This increase is attributed to higher average t-shirt prices (5-10% increase) and fans showing more interest in buying accessory items alongside their apparel.

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In 2023, fans purchased an average of 1.3 items, which has increased to 1.8 in 2024. The most popular items purchased together are:

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Spending Trends By Genre

Using the festival headliners to categorize their genre, hip-hop/rap shows have the highest average spend on merchandise, while EDM festivals have the lowest. For festivals with multiple genres, the average fan spends $72.

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How Does Fan Spending Change Based On The Size Of The Festival?

The average spend on merchandise increases as the festival size increases. One contributing factor is that the average price of items tends to be higher for larger festivals. For example, the average t-shirt is priced at $30 for small-sized festivals, and $40-$45 for large festivals.

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Must-Have Merchandise Accessories for 2024

Koozies continue to be popular add-on items for multiple genres, most commonly country. The new addition is stickers, which appear for multiple genres, specifically folk and pop. The top accessory items for 2024 are koozies, blankets, stickers, bandanas, and tote bags. Here are the top accessory items by genre:

• Country: Koozie
• Pop: Tote Bag, Stickers, and Poster
• Hip Hop/Rap: Cinched Bag and Bandana
• Rock & Metal: Shot Glass and Poster
• Folk: Koozie or Stickers
• Multi-Genre: Blanket and Poster

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Key Takeaways

Fans are showing a higher interest in merchandise, especially accessories, at festivals. Stay tuned for more insights on festival sales with our next deep dive, focusing on food and beverage sales!

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