LPA Ticket Attendance and Revenue Report 2018

Photo: The Book of Mormon, The Gordon Frost Organisation, Jeff Busby

Classical MusicClick for more info

Classical Music infographic (PDF)

Classical Music experienced a marginal y-o-y increase in revenue by 2.0% from $77.9m in 2017 to $79.5m in 2018, despite a y-o-y decrease in attendance by 4.3% from 1.32m in 2017 to 1.26m in 2018. The growth in revenue is primarily attributed to the y-o-y increase in average ticket prices by 2.6% from $77.12 in 2017 to $79.13 in 2018.

2018 recorded the second highest revenue (2008 being the highest) and the fourth highest attendance (after 2006, 2008 and 2017) in the Classical Music category. The top events in the Classical Music category in 2018 were André Rieu, Staatskapelle Berlin, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Beethoven Nine and Yundi Touch of Chopin.

Similar to previous years, most of the revenue (66.0%) and attendance (70.6%) in this category was generated through performances by AMPAG companies in 2018. This includes the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Musica Viva Australia, Orchestra Victoria, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra. AMPAG companies at an overall level experienced a y-o-y decline in revenue by 0.7% and a y-o-y decline in attendance by 3.2% in 2018.

NT experienced the highest y-o-y increase in revenue (63.5%) and attendance (58.1%) among all the jurisdictions. However, its impact is minimal as it represented only 0.1% in revenue and 0.3% in attendance of the overall market share in the Classical Music category. Top performances included those by Darwin Symphony Orchestra and Roger Woodward.

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Classical Music - Revenue and Attendance (2004–2018)

Revenue ($) Growth (%) Total Attendance* Growth (%) Average Ticket Price ($)** Growth (%)
2004 $41,875,659 1,062,071 $43.21
2005 $54,395,768 29.9% 1,154,340 8.7% $52.95 22.5%
2006 $67,568,915 24.2% 1,571,748 36.2% $46.93 -11.4%
2007 $54,615,181 -19.2% 1,104,146 -29.8% $55.85 19.0%
2008 $107,050,440 96.0% 1,478,281 33.9% $84.81 51.9%
2009 $71,273,338 -33.4% 1,120,002 -24.2% $74.01 -12.7%
2010 $45,882,050 -35.6% 962,132 -14.1% $60.43 -18.3%
2011 $60,096,039 31.0% 1,048,115 8.9% $68.82 13.9%
2012 $60,884,219 1.3% 1,254,963 19.7% $60.34 -12.3%
2013 $70,481,841 15.8% 1,169,643 -6.8% $73.18 21.3%
2014 $64,870,493 -8.0% 1,015,122 -13.2% $75.05 2.6%
2015 $56,395,824 -13.1% 993,906 -2.1% $71.50 -4.7%
2016 $76,764,404 36.1% 1,219,293 22.7% $78.43 9.7%
2017 $77,883,209 1.5% 1,318,421 8.1% $77.12 -1.7%
2018 $79,456,707 2.0% 1,261,565 -4.3% $79.13 2.6%

*Based on both paid and unpaid tickets

** Average Ticket Prices are calculated based only on paid tickets

State/Territory Breakdown Close Table

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Classical Music - by State/Territory (2018)

State/Territory Revenue ($) Market Share Proportion Market Share Change from 2017 Attendance Market Share Proportion Market Share Change from 2017
NSW $31,061,325 39.1% -2.1% 412,985 32.7% -3.6%
VIC $23,616,779 29.7% 3.4% 404,820 32.1% -8.6%
QLD $8,388,908 10.6% -3.8% 143,137 11.3% -2.2%
WA $9,876,702 12.4% 18.5% 186,885 14.8% 13.5%
SA $3,261,627 4.1% -11.3% 47,522 3.8% -25.5%
ACT $1,534,053 1.9% 29.2% 25,382 2.0% 8.0%
TAS $1,622,584 2.0% 21.2% 37,330 3.0% -19.7%
NT $94,729 0.1% 63.5% 3,504 0.3% 58.1%

Photo: Bernstein On Stage, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Raschella

Individual Category Results