Determinants of the Demand for Live Entertainments: Some Survey-based Evidence

This paper presents estimates, based on survey evidence, of the determinants of total demand by the public for attendance at live events, such as opera, rock music, musicals and theatre. The paper estimates equations for total attendance in the last twelve months as a function of perceptions of price, income, consumption of substitute goods, demographic variables and measures of the 'social network' effect of attendance (including loneliness). The equations are estimated using a fixed effects model for male-female differences. Some differences are established between males and females. There is only limited evidence for a significant role of social network effects.