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Music Makes the World Go Around - The Five Most, and Least, Live Music-Obsessed States in America

The only way to fully embrace and experience any artist is live and on stage. Seeing your favorite band or singer in the flesh, doing what they do best makes your soul soar, and your heart pound a little harder and has been medically proven to have a  positive impact on both mental and physical health, as it can, and will reduce the stress of everyday life. 

Interestingly, and because of a number of different social and economic reasons, there’s a disparity in the popularity of live music across, and throughout the United States. In some states, people are more interested in listening to live music than they are in others, and as such, some states have a more potent live music culture and scene than others do.

To reflect this disparity, our team here at CheapoTicketing has compiled a list of the top five states that love live music the most and the five where the population, as a whole, is at best, disinterested in going to shows, and at worst are ambivalent about seeing bands or singers on stage. So, without further ado, let's turn it up to eleven and (stage) dive straight into the results… 

The Five States Most In Love With Live Music

1. Massachusetts
2. Washington
3. Washington, DC (District of Columbia)
4. California
5. Nevada

Massachusetts earned the top spot on the list because its home to a large number of state-specific music festivals, with the most popular being Boston Calling, a festival that has been around since 2013 and has typically been held twice every year. 

Meanwhile, the most popular touring artist in Massachusetts is Harry Styles, so if you’re a One Direction fan, there’s probably no better place to see him than in the state where Hazza mania is running wild.  

Washington follows hot on Massachusetts's tail and with 54 notable and long-lasting music venues in this state, it’s no wonder that it stole second place on the list. That many venues mean that there’s always someone playing, which means that there’s an audience who wants to see them. Plus, a large percentage of Washington’s GDP is spent on art, culture, and entertainment, indicating that people are willing to pay a lot of money for music.

Interestingly, Billie Eilish is the most well-liked touring musical performer in the home of grunge. Coachella is the most beloved festival among Washington natives, even though it isn’t even held in the state.

DC takes the third spot on the list, and for a town that's world-famous for its homegrown punk and funk scenes, surprisingly Rolling Loud is the most loved festival while Alicia Keys is the one act that everyone wants to turn up to see. 

Up next, is California, which is known for its love of music, as it is home to numerous festivals, including the aforementioned Coachella, and is a favored destination, for touring artists like Machine Gun Kelly and any and every touring festival that makes, and winds, its way across the USA.

Last on the states that love live music list is Nevada. With a relatively small population of 3,185,426, its twenty-five arenas and a whole host of other gig-friendly venues are usually sold out and in huge demand for artists like Lady Gaga, and the Vegas born and bred When We Were Young festival. 

The Five States Where Live Music Matters The Least

1. Vermont
2. South Dakota
3. West Virginia
4. Mississippi 
5. Kansas

On the other end of the spectrum, these five states are considered the worst places for live music fans, due to the number of shows and festivals rolling through them, the attitude of the mainstream population, and the historical relationship that each has to, and with, music. 

Vermont was at the very bottom of the list as there are absolutely no significant state-specific festivals held here, despite it having a moderate population of 646,545 people, and there are only two noteworthy or long-standing music establishments, indicating that it doesn’t have a long history or culture of live music. Despite this, there is still a clear passion for live music among a minority of potential fans, as Pearl Jam seems to have stolen the hearts of those who do venture out to see shows in Vermont.

Vermont is closely followed by South Dakota, West Virginia, and Mississippi, meaning that live music isn’t exactly a priority in those states. Interestingly though, West Virginia and Mississippi seem to share a similar musical pedigree, as they both have a soft spot for the same festival, Rolling Loud.

Coming in at number five, with a population of 2,954,832, Kansas has just one state-specific festival, but Kansas-based fans keep turning out to see Def Leppard which is still the most popular touring band in Kansas.

How Were These Results Accumulated?

In order to reach the conclusions that we did, several important factors were considered, including - 

• Population size: This was used to calculate the music festivals and venues per capita.
• The number of music venues: If there are lots of noteworthy and long-standing music venues in a state, this indicates that there is a significant culture for live music in the area.
• The number of festivals: The simple fact is that the more festivals that are held in a state, the more beloved live music will be in the area.
• Art, culture, and entertainment GDP percentage: If a lot of money is, and was spent in a state on all three, it provides a solid, and authenticated, indicator that live music is important to the population as a whole.

Full Data Set

Download the full data set* here

*Updated July/2023

Related: America's Hidden Gems of Live Music