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 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.
“Australians continue to engage with arts and creativity in extraordinarily high numbers, even during a period of ongoing financial pressure,” said Creative Australia Executive Director Development and Partnerships Lara Wolski. “What this research shows is that Australians still deeply value cultural participation and connection, but cost is increasingly shaping how people participate and what they can afford to attend.”
For the first time, the survey examined the relationship between arts education and arts participation later in life. Australians who were taught an artform, such as visual arts, creative writing, dance or drama, during their school years were significantly more likely as adults to attend arts events, read books, create art and engage with culture online.
Arts access for children and young people emerged as Australians’ top priority for public arts investment, overtaking free and low-cost events.
“A significant finding in this year’s survey is the relationship between arts education and lifelong participation. Those who had opportunities to learn an artform during their school years are significantly more likely to attend arts events, read books, create art and engage with culture, and to recognise the benefits of doing so later in life,” said Creative Australia Director Research Rebecca Mostyn.
The research points to significant shifts in how Australians are engaging with culture. More people are engaging with reading at least once a week across all formats, including audiobooks, and one in five Australians now discovers books through social media platforms such as BookTok and Bookstagram. Streaming platforms are equal with radio as the most common way Australians discover new music.
The survey also found audiences increasingly embracing musical theatre, cabaret and classical music, with attendance at classical music performances rising from 7% in 2022 to 10% in 2025.
The survey also explored Australians’ attitudes towards artificial intelligence and creativity. Two in five Australians reported using AI tools to create art or generate ideas, while 82% said AI use in creative works should be disclosed. At the same time, almost three quarters questioned whether AI-generated content could be considered “real” or authentic art.
The findings also point to growing cultural participation across Australia’s diverse communities. Participating in the arts to engage with one’s own cultural background, language group or community rose significantly from 32% in 2022 to 40% in 2025. Attendance at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts events and festivals also increased, with one in three Australians attending in 2025.
Conducted roughly every three years since 2009, the National Arts Participation Survey is one of Australia’s longest-running national studies of Australians’ engagement with arts, culture and creativity.
The 2025 survey was based on a nationally representative sample of 9,065 Australians aged 15 and over and introduced new areas of research including arts education, artificial intelligence, digital creativity and ethical sourcing of First Nations arts.
For more information about the National Arts Participation Survey and its findings, visit: www.creative.gov.au for details.
Image: Amigo & Amigo, Piano Walk, installation view at Vivid Sydney, 2026 – photo by Rohan Shearn