Gen Z Leads the Superfan Revival Through Community, Costumes, and Tattoos

New report from AEG unveils the unparalleled power of live music and events in the UK to build communities and forge connections

London, UK, Sept. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

1 in 2 live music fans strongly identify with the fan communities of their favourite artists, increasing to 65% among Gen Zs
An unmatched sense of community, coupled with feelings of excitement (70%) and even euphoria (32%), keeps live music a priority amongst consumers
Gen Z lead the superfan revival, with 41% dressing up and 12% even getting a tattoo as ways of connecting with their favourite artists and fellow fans

London, 30 September 2025: As a nation of live entertainment fanatics, nearly half (48%) of all live music fans¹ agree that they strongly or very strongly identify with the fan communities of their favourite artists, with new research showing that consumers continue to prioritise live events in search of the positive emotions and strong connections that they create.

Banding together
According to The Live Effect – a new report from AEG Global Partnerships, the sponsorship arm of the world’s leading sport and live entertainment company – fans’ sense of identity is tied to music and their favourite artists, with 79% agreeing that live music creates a sense of community that digital entertainment cannot match.

For many, this shared identity creates feelings of belonging and emotional connection, with 70% saying they have felt ‘at home’ among people who understand them at a live music event. Remarkably, 63% reported making an immediate connection with strangers at live events, and half (53%) even feeling more understood by fellow fans than by people in their everyday lives.

This strong sense of community, combined with feelings of excitement (70%), joy (63%) and even euphoria (32%) felt at live events, makes fans unwilling to forego these experiences. Even during times of economic uncertainty, research showed that 46% of fans would prioritise spending on live entertainment.

The superfan revival
From bald caps to ‘brat green’, this year’s live music events have shown that many passionate fans will go the extra mile to feel like part of these cherished communities, giving rise to a new generation of ‘superfans’.

Three in 10 (29%) admit that they have dressed in a way that identifies them as part of a fan community, with Gen Z and Millennials most likely to embrace the community spirit (41% and 33% respectively). Not bound by genre, research showed that across K-Pop (40%), country (33%), and metal (37%), fans have dressed in a specific way to fit in with the community.

Dressing in a specific way is only the tip of the iceberg, with many ‘superfans’ going to extremes to connect and engage with their favourite artists – particularly among Gen Z. One in five (21%) Gen Z music fans have made or bought a homemade sign to get an artist’s attention, while 16% have queued overnight or over five hours for tickets or entry, and 15% have called in sick to work.

One in 10 (12%) Gen Z superfans have even gone so far as to get a tattoo related to an artist or their music, with metal, folk and K-Pop fans the most likely to have been inked (17%, 16% and 15% respectively). Not only does this behaviour identify them as part of the community, but it also leaves them with lasting mementos of some of their favourite experiences.

Paul Samuels, President – Global Partnerships at AEG International, added: “Live music brings people together like nothing else – and passionate Gen Zs are giving a whole new meaning to the word ‘superfan’. Throughout a busy summer of live events, we have seen fans embrace their shared love of specific artists and genres, with many going to extremes to make their experiences more memorable and mark themselves as part of fan communities.”

For more information on AEG’s The Live Effect report, visit: AEG Global Partnerships

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¹ For the purposes of the study, live music fans were defined as consumers who have attended at least one live music event in the past three years.

For any media enquiries, please contact:
Communications.team@aegeurope.com

Notes to editors

About the research
The study, developed by AEG’s Global Partnerships Research and Insights team, surveyed 3,000 UK adults aged 18+, with quotas for age, gender, region and other demographics to approximate the national online population. Interviews were conducted between 19 April and 7 May 2025.

About AEG Global Partnerships
AEG Global Partnerships oversees the worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships for AEG’s entire portfolio of assets. Creating customised and innovative marketing programs for established and emerging brands, it has created some of the most iconic brand partnerships in the entertainment industry, including The O2 in London and Coachella Music Festival.   

Overall, the division manages naming rights deals, premium seating and other strategic partnerships. Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 160 million guests annually. More information about AEG Global Partnerships can be found at www.aeggp.com.

About AEG Europe
AEG Europe creates communities, places and spaces that deliver memorable moments through live entertainment and sports, giving the world reason to cheer.

AEG Europe is a subsidiary of AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG Europe’s extensive portfolio of live entertainment and sports assets across the region includes: an array of best-in-class venues, such as The O2 and Eventim Apollo in London; Barclays Arena in Hamburg; Uber Arena, Uber Platz and Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin; and Accor Arena in Paris; as well as renowned music festivals, including American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London and Rock en Seine in Paris. Our venues host some of the world’s best sports events and are home to prestigious sports franchises, including AEG’s own Berlin Eisbären ice hockey team at the Uber Arena.

Colleagues across Europe work together to create world-class live entertainment and sports experiences. AEG’s venue teams develop and operate best-in-class arenas and districts; AEG Presents promotes and manages concerts and tours, oversees renowned venues and produces some of the world’s leading music festivals; AXS Ticketing connects fans to events through specialist technology solutions; and AEG Global Partnerships links corporate brands into the company’s world-leading network of assets.

Attachments

Comms Team
AEG Europe
+44 207 757 7500
communications.team@aegeurope.com

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