A new white paper analysing ticketing data from thousands of events worldwide suggests that film festivals have entered a more stable and sustainable phase of recovery, with audience attendance, ticket revenues and hybrid participation all stabilising at levels above those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authored by Iddo Patt and published by festival technology platform Eventive, The Resurgence of Film Festivals examines data drawn from more than 1,900 organisations and 6,000 festival editions between 2018 and 2025, covering around 15 million tickets issued across 50 countries.

While the research focuses heavily on North American events using Eventive’s ticketing infrastructure, the trends identified echo patterns observed across the wider international festival ecosystem – including many European events that adopted hybrid models and new marketing approaches during the pandemic years. Some of the surveyed European events include CPH:DOX, Raindance, Nordisk Panorama, Sheffield Docfest, the Reykjavík International Film Festival and the Cork International Film Festival.

In detail, the events examined encompass festivals from 50 countries (including US-based events in all 50 states), 14 of MovieMaker Magazine’s Coolest 25 Film Fests, 30 of MovieMaker Magazine’s 50 Worth the Entry Fee, seven of USA Today’s 10 Best, and 112 out of the 180 listed members of the Film Festival Alliance.

For European festivals navigating ever-tightening public funding, rising operational costs and shifting audience habits, the study highlights several structural trends likely to shape the next phase of the sector’s evolution. One of the most notable findings is that the sharp post-pandemic rebound in attendance has now levelled off – but at a significantly stronger baseline.

Average attendance per festival organisation grew from roughly 5,600 tickets issued in 2021 to more than 7,500 in 2025, constituting a rise of about 34%. At the same time, average net ticket revenue for organisers increased sharply between 2021 and 2024, reflecting both higher attendance and improved monetisation strategies.

For festival organisers, the implication is that the rapid “bounce back” years following the pandemic are giving way to steadier, incremental growth. Rather than relying on exceptional spikes in audience numbers, festivals are increasingly expected to focus on sustained audience development, community engagement and long-term membership strategies.

Another key indicator of the sector’s resilience is the growth in average revenue per ticket (ARPT), a metric that captures not only ticket prices, but also ancillary income, such as passes, merchandise and concessions. After falling during the pandemic, ARPT climbed steadily to reach more than $13 (€11.12) per ticket in 2025, the highest level recorded in the dataset. At the same time, venue utilisation rates – the proportion of available seats actually filled – have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, rising from around 48%-51% before 2020 to the mid-50% range by 2024-2025.

Together, these indicators suggest that festivals are becoming more effective at extracting value from each attendee while maintaining healthy attendance levels. For European festivals facing budget constraints, the findings reinforce the importance of diversified revenue streams, including tiered ticketing, VIP experiences and membership-based access.

The analysis of viewing patterns confirms a long-held assumption among festival programmers: the evening slot remains dominant. The period between 7pm and 9pm accounts for roughly one-third of all in-person ticket sales, with the single most popular hour being 7-8pm.

Afternoon screenings between 2pm and 5pm represent the strongest secondary time window, often attracting around 20% of in-person audiences. For programmers, this reinforces the importance of reserving evening slots for high-profile premieres, gala events and films with strong audience appeal, while using afternoon screenings for more specialised programming or targeted audience segments.

Although many festivals scaled back their online programming after the pandemic, the report indicates that hybrid models have now stabilised as a lasting component of the festival landscape. Among the festivals offering both formats, virtual screenings account for roughly 28%-29% of total attendance, suggesting that digital access remains a significant source of audience engagement. The data also reveal distinct behavioural patterns: while in-person attendance drops sharply after 9pm, virtual audiences remain active until much later, with around 20% of online viewing occurring between 9pm and 6am.

For European festivals, particularly those serving geographically dispersed audiences, this suggests that virtual programming can function as a complementary layer, rather than a substitute for theatrical screenings. Hybrid strategies may therefore remain a key tool for expanding international reach and improving accessibility for viewers unable to travel.

The report also highlights a striking pattern in ticket purchasing behaviour. Roughly one-third of ticket revenue is generated more than eight days before a festival begins, while nearly 40% arrives on or after the first day of the event itself. This “bookend” pattern – early planners followed by last-minute buyers – suggests that festivals should concentrate marketing efforts around two key moments: programme launch and the final days leading up to the event. For organisers, this has implications not only for promotional strategy, but also for staffing, as box-office demand tends to spike during these peak periods.

In conclusion, the findings point to a sector that has largely recovered from the disruption of the pandemic and is now entering a more mature phase of growth. The challenge for festivals moving forward is less about rebuilding audiences and more about sustaining them. Data-driven programming, hybrid distribution models and stronger audience relationships are likely to play an increasingly central role in that process.

As the research ascertains, festivals that succeed in the coming years will be those that integrate audience analytics, flexible programming strategies and hybrid infrastructure into a coherent long-term model – one designed not simply to host events, but also to cultivate enduring film communities.