High Ticket Prices Stand Out in Istanbul Cultural Event Participation Survey
According to a survey conducted with 758 people by the Istanbul Planning Agency, 45.8 percent of city residents did not attend any cultural or artistic event in the past year. High ticket and admission fees were identified as the main barrier to participation.
The Istanbul Barometer survey, prepared by the Istanbul Planning Agency under the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, revealed the city's culture and entertainment habits and the impacts of economic constraints.
Concerts Rank First in Event Preferences
45.8 percent of Istanbul residents participating in the survey stated that they had not attended any cultural or artistic event in the past year. Among those who attended events, concerts were the most common choice at 33.9 percent.
Concerts were followed by theater and stand-up shows at 21.8 percent, and art gallery or museum visits at 21.2 percent. Additionally, book fairs were preferred by 16.2 percent, street festivals by 16.1 percent, and film festivals by 11.9 percent.
Ticket Prices Limit Participation
High ticket and admission fees ranked first among factors making participation in cultural and artistic activities difficult, at 45 percent. Meanwhile, 38.1 percent of participants reported not finding time due to busy work and school schedules.
Due to the impact of economic conditions, spending on social venues such as restaurants and cafes was the area cut back the most in culture and entertainment expenditures, at 41.4 percent. On the other hand, 39.8 percent of participants stated that they did not make cuts in any expenditure category.
Most Free Time Is Allocated to Digital Content
While the proportion of those who preferred physical attendance at events stood at 56.9 percent, the rate of those choosing digital content was determined to be 28.5 percent. Time constraints and practical convenience were cited as the primary reasons for digital preferences.
While participants' daily free time was measured at an average of 3 hours and 44 minutes, their average daily digital entertainment content consumption time was determined to be 3 hours and 8 minutes.