Featured Image: Matheus Viana
A YouGov poll has found that rising prices is the predominant factor stopping Britons from attending the theatre.
The price of theatre tickets has long been a topic of conversation, but new YouGov research has found that while 77% of respondents said they would be willing to see a show at the theatre, only 31% attended in the last year.
In London specifically, 73% expressed willingness to attend the theatre, but only 41% had been in the last 12 months.
When asked the reason for not attending, the price of tickets was the most common answer. Two thirds in London (67%) and 57% across the country said that price was the primary reason they could not go to the theatre.
Other reasons for not attending included the belief that theatres didn’t show the content they wanted to see, while others cited logistical concerns and some said they did not have the time to go to the theatre.
Additionally, those aged between 18-29 were more than twice as likely to say that ‘theatre isn’t for people like me’. Under-30s are more likely to skip the theatre due to a lack of time.
Despite the cost barrier, a recent survey from consultancy indigo and software company Spektrix found that roughly four in 10 attendees at UK arts events last year were first-time bookers.
The ‘Tomorrow’s Audience’ survey featured 72 performing arts organisations gathering 32,600 responses. The participating organisations found that 38% of attendees were visiting for the first time.
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