Event organiser: Estonian summer events' attendance is most affected by people's wallets

According to event organiser Emil Oja, the success of Estonian summer events largely depends on weather, people's financial situation, and price sensitivity. Organisers must cope with rising costs and declining sponsorship revenue. Tickets are purchased only when there is money left after other bills are paid.

Estonian event organiser Emil Oja stated on Radio 2's "R2 Morning" programme that three factors most influence the attendance of summer events: weather, people's financial wellbeing, and price sensitivity. Simply put: a concert ticket gets bought only after all other bills have been paid.

According to Oja, pressures are mounting for organisers as costs rise while sponsorship revenue declines. This means the risk falls increasingly on the organisers themselves. Artists and technical equipment prices have gone up, yet the public is not prepared to pay for these cost increases through higher ticket prices.

Price sensitivity is a real force in the Estonian concert landscape. If a ticket becomes too expensive, people simply stay home, especially in a situation where economic uncertainty makes people think twice about every expense. However, summer brings fierce competition for audiences' time: there are many free alternatives outdoors, so a paid event must clearly justify itself.

Emil Oja stressed that organising a successful event nowadays requires significantly more planning and financial preparation than in previous years. The decline in sponsorship is particularly painful, since sponsorship revenue has historically helped cover part of the costs without this being reflected in ticket prices.