Audience research for festivals & events

The insights you need to grow your audience, sell more tickets, and make confident decisions

See how we can help →

Let’s Tune In to your audience

How research helps you spend smarter, and act with confidence.

There’s no getting around it - it’s tough out there for events and festivals. Margins are tight, audience behaviour has shifted, and what used to work doesn’t always land. Right now, you need confidence: that your marketing speaks to the right people, that your lineup will resonate before you spend big, and that every decision you make lands.

We believe the key to that confidence is right in front of you - your audience. And yes, “research” might sound a bit stiff in a world built on music, fun and creativity…but done right, it’s creative fuel that makes your event more enjoyable and every pound of your budget work harder. Don’t just take it from us…

“Companies that invest in comprehensive market research achieve a launch success rate 3.6x higher than those who don’t.”
2022 PwC study on product launches

“Investing 5% of your budget in market research ensures the remaining 95% is spent properly."
Mark Ritson (Marketing Professor)

We know how every spend decision counts in the events world - we’ve been there! After years working in festivals, we launched Tune In as a direct line between your event and your crowd: to help you find out what actually moves ticket sales, why first-timers hesitate, and what messages make fence-sitters convert. We’re here to find you answers to all the questions you may have, based on real feedback - not guesswork.

Research ensures your budget is working as hard as you do and replaces guesswork with clear, crowd-backed insights, giving you creative confidence, clarity, and smarter spend.

Who we are →

  • "Tune In's work gave us a clear, informed way forward – and brought us closer to our audience."

    We Out Here Festival

    See our work->

Every event is different, so we tailor what we do to your goals. But here are some of the ways we can help you understand your audience…

What we can help with

Tune into your audience
Go deeper than demographics and find out what really moves your crowd: from headliners to experience must-haves

Test big ideas
Validate new concepts (line-ups, content, new installations) before you commit.

Develop your community
Understand what keeps your loyal fans coming back - and how to win back those who’ve dropped off

Map brand perception
Find out how your event really comes across, and what you’re known for

Improve partnerships
Help partners connect with your crowd in original and creative ways that improves value.

How we work with events ->

We use proven research method, but adapt these for the messy, magical world of festivals and events. That might mean 1:1 interviews, small-group chats, or watching how your audience moves through your space IRL.

Then we scale what we hear with surveys, so insights reflect your full crowd. Finally, we distil it all into a clear, practical report, and guide you through how to turn those findings into sharper programming, better marketing, or stronger partnerships.

How we work with you

  • Quick kick-off to define your goals, audience, and the decisions this research will inform. Together, we shape a clear brief, plan and timeline.

  • We run Qualitative research to find the story (interviews, groups, on-site ethnography) and Quantitative to size that feedback (surveys) - always tailored to your crowd. (Typical samples: between 100-1,000+ depending on project.)

  • We analyse all data into a clear, actionable report. This will be insight-rich with key findings, best-of quotes, and “what this means for” marketing, programming, and partners.

  • We run a hands-on session to help you apply the insights, prioritise quick wins, and set a roadmap. We can also stick around to measure and iterate.

Every event has its own goals, so nothing here is one-size-fits-all. We’ve grouped the most common needs into three starting packages; but treat those as starting points. We’ll happily mix methods, timelines and outputs to put your brief (or build one from scratch).

Explore our packages ->

FAQs

  • Research helps you tune in to your audience so every pound of your budget works harder. Instead of guessing, you’ll know exactly what motivates your community, what might be holding them back, and how to grow both loyalty and reach.

  • Absolutely. We work with festivals and events of all sizes, tailoring our approach to your needs and budget. Whether you want quick insights on one challenge or a deep dive into your whole audience, we’ll create something that fits.

  • It depends on the scope. Our Soundcheck package delivers insights in as little as four weeks, while Tune In is a more comprehensive three-month project. Amplify varies depending on the brand partnership and scope.

  • We’re festival people ourselves. We understand the challenges of running events and the realities of stretched budgets. Our research is designed to be practical, actionable, and always rooted in the live events world.

  • Festivals are our sweet spot, but we also work with live events, cultural organisations, and brand activations within the event space. If your audience gathers in a field, venue, or arena, we’re interested.

More FAQs ->