Measuring and Articulating the Value of Live Performance in Aotearoa is a Massey University-led research project that establishes the first national evidence base for the economic and wellbeing contributions of the live performance sector to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Funded by Manatū Taonga The Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the report provides evidence that live performance is of significant economic, social, and wellbeing value to Aotearoa.
Key findings
The key findings from the project include:
- this research values the economic and social contributions of live performance to Aotearoa in the twelve months ending June 30, 2024 at $17.3 billion.
- For every dollar spent on live performance $3.20 is returned in benefits to the wider community.
- 2.3 million people over the age of 15 attended live performances in Aotearoa between July 2023 and June 2024. On average they spent $210 at each performance and attended 4.9 live performances each.
- Live performance-motivated expenditure contributes 1.4% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- Attending live performances provides an immediate boost to life satisfaction and contributes to a lasting improvement in overall wellbeing.
- Live performance supports the creation of 60,500 full-time equivalent roles across Aotearoa.
- Volunteers contribute $1.2 billion worth of skills and professional expertise to support the live performance sector.
- Audiences value live performance for its ability to affirm identity, build and maintain social connections and enliven public space.
Project report and producer tool
You can download a comprehensive report articulating and expanding on these findings, as well as a tool that producers and performers in the live performance sector can use to measure the value of their activities.
Research team
Meet the members of the research team.
Associate Professor Dave Carter
Dave has worked as a music producer, engineer, researcher and educator across three continents. He has organised snow parties on the banks of the Mekong, toured Australia playing bass in a soul band and failed at running a record label. His research includes contract work for government and industry organisations exploring the operation, value and sustainability of music and creative sectors.
Catherine Hoad
Catherine is a senior lecturer at Massey and the Chair of the Australia-Aotearoa/New Zealand branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. Her published monograph and edited collections explore constructions of identity and community in heavy metal and hardcore scenes, with a wider research and teaching interest in inclusion, access, and equity in creative communities.
Alice Tappenden
Alice is a Senior Research Advisor and PhD student at Massey University. Her research on the cultural and creative industries considers the impact of parenting on the careers of artists, filmmakers, and musicians in Aotearoa, and best-practice methodologies for working with research contributors. Her previous publications have focussed on the history of photography and art in Aotearoa.
Professor Oli Wilson
Oli’s research seeks to make our creative sectors more sustainable, accessible, and fairer. He has collaborated on major research projects with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Toi Mai workforce development council, and APRA-AMCOS among others. He is also an accomplished artist with over 20 years experience in the music industry.
Paul Muller, CPD
Paul’s research interest is in using quantitative and qualitative methods to articulate the social and economic impacts of public goods. He has published extensively on volunteering, the creative industries, and sport, and presented his unique perspective on value as a keynote speaker at a number of international conferences and events.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the report or require the report in an alternative format please email liveperformance@massey.ac.nz.