Vol. XXV, No. 8, July 2025 (2)
Update on post-pandemic time away-from-home arts and entertainment
The American Time Use Survey tracks how much time the average person aged 15 and older spends at arts and entertainment destinations. The ATUS definition of arts and entertainment is extensive. It includes performing arts, museums, movies, gambling establishments, festivals, shows, fairs, amusement parks, LBEs, historic sites, poetry readings, auto shows, carnivals, circuses, parades, sightseeing, and book signings. It essentially encompasses most out-of-home arts and entertainment options available to people, excluding sports and social events.
Since 2019, the pre-pandemic year, we've seen a significant decline in the time people spend attending these events. In 2024, there were some changes compared to 2023. Age groups 15-24 and 65+ reported further declines. Ages 25-34 and 55-64 didn't see any change. Ages 35-44 and 45-54 saw an increase, but all age groups are still lower than in 2019.
The time spent away from home on arts and entertainment since 2019 is significantly lower for all age groups. For ages 15-34, a prime target market for most location-based entertainment venues, it's around one and a half hours less per month, or about 40% less.
There are now tons of competition for younger adults' out-of-home entertainment and art activities, and younger adults' time available to attend them is now significantly less. That makes the out-of-home entertainment and arts market even more competitive than it was just over five years ago. This means that to capture some of younger adults' limited time, entertainment venues need to be highly appealing, far more competitive than just five years ago. Mediocre no longer works.
The decrease in time spent at entertainment and arts events is part of the overall trend of people spending less time away from home than they did before the pandemic. On average people spent just over one-half hour less time per day (-34 minutes) away from home in 2024 than in 2019.
Every age group spent less time away from home.
Some of the decrease in time spent attending entertainment and arts events is also attributed to an increase in time spent attending live sporting events. As we previously reported, the time spent at live events is increasing, taking a greater share of people's time away from home. In 2024, people spend 9 minutes more time per month attending live sporting events than they did before the pandemic.
We've seen a significant decrease in the amount of time people spend away from home and a shift in where they spend that time. These appear to be new long-term trends since the pandemic.
Subscribe to monthly Leisure eNewsletter
