We all know that feeling you get the day after a big night out—not just the pounding headache, but the lighter wallet in your pocket, and the confusion about where all your cash could have gone.
Eventbrite set out to uncover how much an average nightlife enthusiast spends when they’re out and about—and where, specifically, that cash is going. We analyzed data from our top six metros that go big after the sun goes down. And while most cities love their drinks and late-night snacks, we found that the ticket to an event eats up the most money and is the catalyst for other nightlife spending.
Keep reading for more nightlife spending insights in Austin, and see how the other cities stack up here:
San Francisco | New York | Los Angeles | Austin | Atlanta
Chicago spends the most on nightlife
Chicagoans spend $38 of their nightlife dollars on the ticket, $29 on booze, $12 on transportation, and $11 on late night snacks—the highest overall amount of any city in the study.
Ticket trends: food & drink events were the most expensive ticket
Music events dominated the night, with 39% of nightlife tickets falling into this category at an average paid ticket price of $13—quite a bit lower than Chicago’s overall average ticket price. Food & drink made up 20% of all nightlife events at an average ticket price of $53.
Tip: Price your tickets close to the average for your event type to ensure you aren’t alienating people with high costs—or missing out on some major revenue.
Chi-town drives and rideshares equally
Over half of Chicagoans said they opted to drive when going out; over half also said they used ridesharing apps.
Tip: Partner with ridesharing services to incentivize partygoers to come to your events with a ridesharing discount code. Work with Uber and Lyft to reach out to their customers that most frequently go out at night with ticket giveaways.
How Chicago drinking habits measure up
Chicagoans have three drinks in an average night but include the most heavy-drinkers of any other city, with 27% of people indulging in five or more drinks. Only 3% say they don’t have any drinks—the lowest of any city. Chicago also tied with LA for the highest overall spend on drinks.
Tip: Consider offering a second happy hour later in the evening to keep the heavy-drinkers extra happy.
How Chicago snacks: pizza
More people chose pizza as a favorite nighttime nibble in Chicago than any other city—including New York.
Tip: Partner with some of Chi-town’s most popular pizza joints. Offer them sidewalk space just outside of your event or on your most popular nights, share discounts with your attendees, and take a cut of the profit.
Check out how the other cities stack up here:
San Francisco | New York | Los Angeles | Austin | Atlanta
