Going to Concerts Leads to Increased Overall Happiness, Study Finds

Photo: Joshua Peter Grafstein

Published Aug 16, 2016

If you're a music fan who's been feeling a little low lately, maybe consider going out to a few more shows than you normally do. A new study out is suggesting that heading out for concerts and festivals contributes to a happier overall life. recently published study [via Consequence of Sound ] from Victoria's Deakin University called "If you're happy and you know it: Music engagement and subjective wellbeing" had researchers asking a random sampling of 1,000 Australians about their overall satisfaction of life. This was done over the telephone.Apparently, those who said they had attended any sort of "habitual music engagement" ranked higher with their subjective well-being (SWB) than those who did not. "The findings revealed that engaging with music by dancing or attending musical events was associated with higher SWB than for those who did not engage with music in these forms," the study explains.Other findings are that those who danced at the music events scored even higher than those who make it out to shows, but don't move to the music. It is, however, noted that not all concertgoers are physically able to dance, while "it is equally plausible that those experiencing higher than average levels of SWB tend to dance and attend music events more frequently in celebration of their good mood, as it is that dancing and attending musical events are precursors to higher wellbeing."The study also dives into different economic situations, noting that not everybody can afford to go to a bunch of concerts all the time. In short, the link between happiness and concerts is likely also influenced by living standards, privilege and wealth."In Australia, attending musical events is costly, and may be a privilege afforded to those who earn a higher income," it's explained.You can read more about the parameters of the study over here . You can also see Exclaim!'s Summer Festival Guide over here