Ninety-nine percent of ticket-buyers in Quebec will return to theatres and concert halls – eventually

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A poll by the Léger firm indicates that an overwhelming majority of Quebecers who bought tickets during the past year will resume attending “shows and other cultural activities” after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Only one percent said they would “never” again attend such presentations.

The survey consulted 1,002 adults in various parts of the province between April 24 and 26. Results are sorted by age, sex, education, income, family status and geographical region.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents were francophone and 41 percent were 55 years old or over. Half were from the Montreal metropolitan region. Sexes were divided approximately in half. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they had bought at least one ticket in the previous year.

Some of these ticket-buyers expressed more caution than others. Forty percent said they would wait “several months” after the provincial ban on gatherings and presentations is lifted. Twenty-nine percent would wait “a few months” and 22 percent “a few weeks.” Eight percent said they would return immediately.

Among the 55-plus demographic – crucial for the classical industry – almost half said they would wait “several months” after the ban is lifted.

Results varied also according to region, age, ticket-buying habits and the size of venue under consideration. Thirty-eight percent of all respondents said they would feel comfortable in rooms holding fewer than 250 and 22 percent said the same of rooms holding fewer than 1,000.

Remarkably, no francophones among those who had bought a ticket in the previous year said they would “never” again attend performances.

The poll was commissioned by the iCible ticket-service company and the RIDEAU association of French-language theatres.

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About Author

Arthur Kaptainis has been a classical music critic since 1986. His articles have appeared in Classical Voice North America and La Scena Musicale as well as Musical Toronto. Arthur holds an MA in musicology from the University of Toronto. From 2019-2021, Arthur was co-editor of La Scena Musicale.

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