Beauty brands: You should be scrambling to get in the live music game

Beauty brands: engage live music mode. Festivals and events alike should be a major target for marketers in 2020, suggests new research.

A study by Live Nation, which includes multiple surveys with around 30,000 gen Z and millennial respondents, has found that women spend more time, money and energy on beauty when it comes to live music events. 

On average, they spend two hours getting ready for a live music event compared to 1.5 hours during their everyday life. One in three bought at least one beauty item for the last live music event they went to and spent an estimated US$46 overall specifically for live. Meanwhile, nine in 10 say they enhance their look for a live music event. 

Bolstering this research are figures including 91% who say they can be their truest self at music festivals and 84% who believe live music events encourage freedom with beauty. Two in three (63%) say that live music inspires beauty trends and 61% say knowing that they will be posting a photo/video on social media encourages them to put in more effort into their beauty routine.

Russell Wallach, Live Nation’s global president of media and sponsorship, said: "Live music has always ignited self-expression and creativity, and with the convergence of the physical and digital worlds, Gen Z and Millennial fans are turning to festivals and concerts to debut new looks that set trends globally.

"The ability to tap real fans and learn more about their relationship with makeup, skin care and fashion before, during and after live music events allows us to help brands enter the space seamlessly and thoughtfully in order to stand out and create an emotional connection during a cultural moment."

Fans’s makeup and skincare journey starts as far back as weeks before a live event, with a desire to have brands inspire and plan their look, according to the research. In fact, 64% said they would be interested in a beauty brand offering them a product kit before a festival. During the occasion, people want to bring originality, with 89% saying there is no one "uniform" of a festival look and 78% stating live music events are an excuse to wear bold makeup. And 64% say they’ll continue using the beauty brand post-event if they used it during. 

Meanwhile, skincare is increasingly becoming more and more important to fans. Nearly 60% say they need time for self-care before a live event, with one in four using face masks to unwind. More than 70% stress sunscreen in the most important beauty product in these scenarios, and around 90% say that any sunblock brand which shows up would be a hero. 

Sustainability has become a major factor, too. A total of 77% wish beauty product came in more sustainable packaging and 70% say it’s important to them to use environmentally-friendly beauty products. This is compounded by research that shows two in three (67%) are less likely to support a brand that doesn’t practice sustainable behaviors.

It’s not just women who lean into beauty more for live events. Men are hyper-engaged with grooming efforts, and will go harder at festivals. 

Live Nation found half of male millennial and gen Z men are passionate about grooming. One in three buy grooming products at least once a month and, on average, they spend $47 on grooming in total per month. A total of 81% say they enhance their look for a live music event. Moisturiser and face masks play a big role in their skincare routine.

Gender fluidity is more important to these generations than any other: 90% say all genders should feel free to express themselves with make-up and 77% believe live music events help break down gender stereotypes.

Brands which lean into live events need to understand the powerful advantage an influx of influencers brings to the table: Globally, more than two thirds have attended a live music event in the past 12 months and they are four times more likely than non-live music-goers to have 1,000+ followers on social media.

"Concerts and festivals are like live Instagram feeds," said Molly, a gen Z respondent based in the US.