A new study into classical music audiences shows how social media and expanded forms of performance are helping bring in younger listeners
The Classic Pulse Report 2026, published by Fever/Candlelight, offers new insights into the audiences for classical music around the world and how new entry points, most notably those created by social media, are opening up the genre to new and, crucially, younger audiences.
Via research company Dynata, 8,000 people were polled across 10 countries with the goal of understanding who is going to classical concerts, what it is that draws them into the genre, where the barriers lie, how audience expectations are shifting, and how the classical sector has to respond to all this.
It found that almost 75% of respondents say they either enjoy classical occasionally (44%) or regularly (30%) in their own time. The report says that 15% of Gen Z and Millennials identify as dedicated followers of classical, almost double the rate of Gen X (8%), and triple that of Boomers (5%).
While word of mouth is the main discovery mechanism for classical, social media is becoming a powerful entry point into the genre, especially for younger listeners.
An encouraging finding for live classical promoters is that, across all countries surveyed, over 50% of respondents said they have been to a classical performance at least once, with 84% of them having done so within the past year.
Spain (68%), Mexico (65%), Brazil (63%), and Germany (62%) lead the way here, while attendance was lower in the UK (50%), France (54%), and Canada (55%).
Hearing the music played live (54%) was the main motivation for people going to classical shows, especially in Brazil, the UK, and Australia. But having a social connection through music (43%) was the next most powerful reason.
Historically classical has grappled with perceptions that it can sometimes be elitist or stuffy, but that is slowly changing. The live experience is changing and this is seen as a powerful way to pull in new audiences, mostly notably in the use of non-traditional venues to put on classical shows.
According to Sebastien García, global head of Candlelight at Fever, social media is increasingly the way younger audiences first encounter and appreciate the genre.
“Classical music works very well with social media,” said Garcia. “It creates emotion. It’s visually appealing. On social media, you need to renew the content every week, every two weeks.”
He added: “The longevity of the assets are much shorter. So it creates this kind of novelty, and it also creates a mix of genres. You get classical music mixed with TV scores, mixed with all the other content you can consume. It reduces the impression of elitism.”
The fact that social media runs on multiple content forms helps because the music can co-exist with interviews with the performers as well as behind-the-scenes footage. It all feeds a wider appreciation of the music.
García says they hope to repeat the study next year to be able to track changes in attitude. They are also considering more qualitative analysis in the future, such as interviews and focus groups, to run alongside the quantitative data.
The ultimate goal, he says, is growing the audience for classical and ensure discovery of the music is handed down to the next generations. Knocking down barriers and overturning misconceptions about the genre’s elitism is how it can secure its future.
Download the full report from the Candlelight Experience website.
Photo credit: Larisa Birta on Unsplash