2025 Mid-Year Venue Merchandise Insights: How Fan Spending Is Evolving

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The first half of 2025 showed one clear theme: fans are still showing up ready to spend—and venues that make it easy to buy are capturing more revenue than ever.

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We analyzed data from more than 50,000 events across 700+ venues to see where merch trends are shifting and how venues are turning those shifts into incremental revenue. Here’s what we found.

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Attendance Is Rebounding in 2025

Attendance dipped early in the year but bounced back in Q3. The strongest growth is showing up at 1.5–10K venues (+5%) and stadium shows (+6%), while smaller clubs (<500, -1%) and mid-tier arenas (10–20K, -3% to -5%) are seeing declines. Venues in the 500–5K range are essentially flat with only slight gains.

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The takeaway: growth is strongest at mid-size shows and stadiums, while small clubs and mid-tier arenas are under more pressure this year.

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Top 15 Markets for Per-Head Spend

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Per-head merch spend is climbing in key markets, with Nashville, Dallas, and San Antonio leading the way. Other top performers include San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Baltimore—driven by a mix of stadiums, mid-size venues, and well-known clubs and theaters.

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Different Genres, Different Merch Trends

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Merchandise buying behavior isn’t one-size-fits-all—it changes with the music. In 2025, 23% of arena and stadium fans are buying merchandise, up from 21% in 2024.

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Hip-Hop and K-Pop fans continue to lead per-head spend, with EDM, Punk, and Hard Rock also posting strong gains. Meanwhile, Folk, Metal, and R&B are trending down compared to last year.

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Average Spend Per Fan: Concerts vs. Sports

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Fans are spending more per head at both concerts and sporting events compared to 2024:

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• Concerts: Average merch spend is $67.53 per fan, up 9% year-over-year
• Sports: Average merch spend is $72.64 per fan, up 6% year-over-year

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This growth shows that whether fans are coming for a tour or a championship game, they’re willing to spend more when given the right experience.

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Why it matters: Optimizing merch operations and staffing for event type can capture those extra dollars and increase total event-day revenue.

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Growing Venue Trends in 2025

Mobile Ordering Is Driving Higher Fan Spend

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Fans are willing to pay for convenience. Venues using mobile ordering are seeing:

• +12% increase in AOV
• +15% increase in average Gross Sales per event
• 19% higher average spend from VIP suite guests
• Shorter lines and faster transaction times, resulting in repeat purchases at multi-act events

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Why it matters: Giving fans more ways to buy, on their terms, boosts total revenue and improves the event-day experience.

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Sponsorship Is Moving Beyond Impressions

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Static signage isn’t enough anymore. Sponsors expect measurable engagement and ROI.
Venues are delivering by integrating sponsors directly into the purchase experience:

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• Branded mobile ordering flows
• Branded VIP suite delivery bags
• Transaction-level sponsor redemption data
• Sponsored promotions & discounts show 70%+ ROI

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Why it matters: Sponsorship is no longer just a logo, it’s a new revenue stream tied to real transactions. Venues that can prove ROI are commanding higher sponsor fees and stronger renewals.

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Ready to see how these trends translate to your venue? Let’s talk →

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