An Updated Look At Artist Merch Trends In 2025

We're sharing early insights on 2024 artist merchandise trends, including average revenue per person by genre and capacity grouping, as well as trends in concert attendance compared to prior years. See how attendance has changed in 2024 and if has impacted your genre and capacity grouping.

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minutes

2025 has been a big year for touring—and an even bigger year for merchandise. Fan spending habits look different compared to 2024, with some genres gaining popularity, others slowing down, and new items entering the top sellers list. Let’s analyze what’s happening on the road right now.

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TL;DR

Avg $/head for the industry is up from 2024, now at $10.29.
Fans using mobile and smaller bite-sized purchases are helping drive more transactions per fan.
K-Pop continues to dominate, with average $/head up +13% from 2024.
T-shirt prices remain steady, averaging $38.

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Overall Average $/Head In 2025

These insights highlight an interesting shift: more money per fan, but a slightly smaller percentage of fans making purchases. For artists and tour managers, this underscores the importance of driving conversion with the right product mix and creative offers.

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$10.29

2025 $/Head

$9.44

2024 $/Head

+9%

YoY

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Are fewer fans attending concerts in 2025?

Concert attendance in 2025 is steady overall, but capacity matters. Small and mid-size venues under 10K are seeing growth, stadiums (20K+) are up, while 10–20K venues are averaging 2–6% fewer fans than 2024.

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How has attendance and average $/head changed by genre?

K-Pop, EDM, and Punk are driving the biggest gains in 2025, with $/head up double digits, while Folk, R&B, and Alternative are seeing the sharpest declines.

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Top Selling Items by Genre (By # Sold)

T-shirts continue to be the most popular item, making up over 50% of items sold. Hats are among the top 5 items across all genres, and non-apparel items such as koozies, tote bags, stickers, and light sticks (k-pop genre specifically) continue to gain popularity across most genres.

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