Published June 2026
More Australians are showing up for arts and cultural experiences, but costs are a growing factor in who attends and how often, according to a new national survey released today by Creative Australia.
Creative Transformations: Results of the National Arts Participation Survey is the latest in a long running series of national surveys tracking Australians’ attitudes towards and engagement with the arts.
It found 74% of Australians attended at least one live arts event or festival in the past year, equivalent to 15.4 million people and the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2009.
At the same time, 60% of Australians cited cost as the biggest barrier to attendance, and more than half missed out on events they wanted to attend due to cost.
The survey found almost all Australians, 98%, engage with the arts in some way, whether through music, reading, festivals, creating art, digital engagement or live attendance.
Positive attitudes towards the arts also remain high, with 93% of Australians holding positive views about the arts and 86% recognising the positive impacts of creative engagement on society, the economy and individual wellbeing.