Exclusive: Concert travel surges as indie venues see big gains
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Concert travel spiked this year and so did interest in the country's indie venues, according to new data shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: Fans aren't just showing up for superstar tours. The appetite for live music is spilling over into independent venues and classic rock.
By the numbers: Indie venues drove 38 million ticket clicks and 2 million RSVPs on live event discovery platform Bandsintown.
- Pittsburgh's Spirit Theatre led growth among NIVA venues, while Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver topped RSVPs and new followers.
- The top five indie houses by ticket clicks were The Rave/Eagles Club (Milwaukee), First Avenue (Minneapolis), Elsewhere (Brooklyn), Le Poisson Rouge (NYC), Empire Control Room & Garage (Austin).
What they're saying: "[Independent venues] are the lifeblood of a community," Bandsintown CEO Fabrice Sergent tells Axios.
- "Inflation is hitting everybody hard in this country and people are seeking incredible experiences at an affordable price."
Nostalgia is also fueling travel — 32.6% more fans traveled internationally for live shows in 2025 than in 2024.
- StubHub's latest report says 60% of concertgoers left their state or the country to see acts like Green Day, Oasis, The Eagles and My Chemical Romance.
What we're watching: Rock and hip-hop are shifting in opposite but telling ways.
- Rock was the most-engaged genre of 2025 on Bandsintown, leading fan follows and interaction. Alt. rock/indie subgenre shoegaze grew by 37% year-over-year.
- Hip-hop may be falling off the charts, but its sub-genre, trap music, grew 65% year-over-year, making it the fastest-rising genre on the platform.
Go deeper: What music insiders say you can expect on the charts in 2026
