Reggae accounted for about 19% of monthly listenership among Gen Z and 30% of millennial concertgoers according to Luminate’s 2024 Report. This places reggae behind several genres, including Hip-Hop/Rap, which leads with approximately 70% among millennials and 60% among Gen Z. Comparatively, Afrobeat is steadily growing, capturing over 15% of Gen Z listenership and slightly higher figures among millennials.
Reggae’s consistent performance at 20-30% across demographics indicates a small but loyal fan base. However, the genre’s listenership is not growing as rapidly as Country or Electronic/Dance music, which garner more significant attention from younger audiences. For instance, Electronic/Dance attracts over 35% of millennials and 40% of Gen Z concertgoers monthly, highlighting its broad appeal in live settings.
In November the Caribbean Music Report revealed that Buju Banton’s “The Overcomer Tour” became the highest-grossing solo reggae tour of the 21st century, with ticket prices averaging $300 and record-breaking sales in North America. Despite some canceled shows, Buju performed nine capacity-filled events, including two sold-out nights at UBS Arena, and concluded his tour at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
At Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, Buju set a new benchmark for reggae acts with tickets reaching $1,449. His success reflects reggae’s strong international appeal, complemented by other Jamaican artists like Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, and Beres Hammond, who also had high-grossing tours in 2024.
The report highlights the growing demand for reggae and dancehall tours, but with varying ticket prices. Rising star Shenseea led the younger generation with affordable pricing, while icons like Damian Marley and Alborosie maintained steady global audiences.
Luminate predicts that “as Gen Z assumes the concert-going mantle, demand for live Electronic / Dance Music, Afrobeats and Indie Rock events in the U.S. poised to grow due to their over-indexing in listenership.”
Luminate also states that “in Q2 2024, Gen Z spent more money on concerts monthly than any other generation, spending 23% more per month than the average U.S. music listener.”
Compared to Q3 2023, 68% of U.S. music listeners said ‘ticket cost’ would be a barrier to concert attendance, representing a new high in Luminate Insights audience reporting.
As the numbers show, the potential is there—what’s needed is a clear strategy to amplify reggae’s timeless message in a modern context.
