Why Community and Conscious Choices Matter
From the energy of live music to the comfort of being with friends in inclusive, safe spaces, young people are clear about what they value when they head out. This article explores what young people are really looking for in a night out.
Between 8th and 12th April, Obsurvant conducted an online survey of 2,009 individuals aged 18–30. The sample was representative of gender and region, providing insights into young people’s social habits, attitudes toward alcohol and safety, and preferences around music venues.
Our research highlighted that some things don’t change, when young people are deciding what they want from a night out, quality of music, artists they like, safety and comfort are critical factors. What is also clear from the research is the importance of a sense of community, inclusivity and friendship groups. 30% say that a stronger sense of inclusivity would make them more likely to go to an event or go out, second only behind artists/acts they like.
For students, the trend is even more stark with the group of friends going to a music event being one of the most important factors (along with cost), ahead of artist playing, safety & travel.
While it is likely most will agree that the desire to party across generations, there are aspects where a night out diverges from expectations of previous generations for those aged 18-30, especially when it comes to alcohol.
For an industry where many venues rely on bar sales to be sustainable, understanding these shifts, and identifying other available income options, is vital.
The impact of social media on the evolution of what a night out needs to offer is also unavoidable. While filming the performance is still more popular, a surprising 27% of 18-30s say they are more likely to film themselves (e.g. selfie style – singing along, entering the venue, with a drink) than the artist performing. 30% say they prefer high-end production that suits their social media posts over minimal, stripped-back performances. It is a reminder that, for many, visual experience matters. Not just what happens on stage, but how the whole space looks and feels.
There is clearly an understanding of the importance of music venues and nightclubs with 69% of 18-30s agreeing that they are an important part of UK culture, and this rises to 75% among those who visit these spaces at least weekly.
Young people still value these institutions, they want to go out but their relationship with nightlife is evolving and continuing to understand this will be really important as the industry comes to terms with the challenging environment it finds itself in.
Dr Lucy Bennett, Lecturer in Media Audiences at Cardiff University and contributor to the Music Fans’ Voice research, collaborated with us on the research design and offered the following insights.
“Overall, this research highlights a powerful connection between music and the evolving values of young people, emphasising that quality music and beloved artists remain central to their nightlife experience.
However, this research shows that this connection now extends more deeply to shared experiences, with community, inclusivity, and visual aesthetics all playing key roles, in digital and offline settings. For the 18-30s respondents, music works as a social anchor, a reason to gather with friends in spaces that feel safe, experiencing the music collectively and being able to sing along to their favourite songs together – reflected in the growing practice of fans filming themselves at venues.
While drinking plays a less central role than in previous generations, the communal power of music continues to thrive, being a backdrop for connection, identity, and content creation in an increasingly digitally connected nightlife culture.“
We’re frequently running research in this space – our most recent report with The NTIA can be found here.
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss our research, see the data or just talk about UK club culture.