Why Music Fans Are Traveling for Connection, Not Just Concerts
Today’s ticket buyers aren’t just going to concerts, they are looking for deeper experiences. Learn why music fans are traveling and how artists are transforming shows into unforgettable journeys of connection and community.
Why Music Fans Are Traveling for Connection, Not Just Concerts
by Harvey Cohen, president of Vibee
Attending a concert today is about more than just the performance.
It’s about the full experience – from planning your themed outfit and getting to the venue, to the atmosphere when you arrive, the afterparty, and the lasting memories you take home. With the rise of destination events, fans are seeking connections that go beyond the show, and artists and event producers are delivering. Fans are traveling not just to hear their favorite artists, but to connect more deeply with the music, with each other, and with moments that can’t be replicated. The concert is the anchor in a richer, more intentional experience.
Companies like Vibee are helping shape this evolution by designing curated, destination-based events that invite fans into the world of the artist. In Las Vegas, a city built on entertainment, the approach has taken hold through historic residencies with artists like U2, Dead & Company, Eagles, Kenny Chesney, and Backstreet Boys, as well as large-scale, sensory-driven takeovers like Hotel EDC and Afterlife presents Anyma ‘The End of Genesys’ at Sphere. Growing on the success seen in Las Vegas, Vibee now partners with artists who want to showcase their hometown or a territory that has a special meaning to them. Whether it is Beyoncé’s multi-show stadium residency or Bad Bunny’s historic 30 night sold arena residency in San Juan, the fans have spoken, and we’re answering their call with amazing destination experiences around the world.
“fans wanted to feel part of the music again”
It’s clear that fans want to step into something that can’t be recreated elsewhere. Following the pandemic, people were especially eager to get back into the world. Fans wanted to feel part of the music again, and artists, noticing that same pull, responded with experiences that traded scale for intimacy and convenience for intentionality. The result is a growing wave of events where music is just one part of the magic.
You might not just go to a concert—you check into a themed hotel, attend a welcome dinner, and explore a physical manifestation of an artist’s creative world. You meet other fans who made the same pilgrimage. That emotional layering is why this format resonates so deeply. In a hyper-connected world, many are hungry for meaningful disconnection.
For artists, this evolution is personal. A destination experience gives them space to express their identity in ways a traditional tour stop can’t. It lets them shape the aesthetic, the tone, and the emotional arc of the fan’s journey. Think about a DJ duo taking over a hotel for three days of wellness rituals, beachside sets, and curated afterparties. Or a comedy icon like Kevin Hart inviting fans to a poker tournament at Resorts World Las Vegas. They become truly unrepeatable moments.
“music lovers want to be included, seen, part of something bigger”
Vibee, in partnership with venues like The Venetian and Fontainebleau, help artists reimagine what a residency can be. These experiences often include breathtaking fan portals, exclusive merch drops, archival footage, and behind-the-scenes content that even the most loyal fans have never witnessed.
Music lovers want to be included, seen, and part of something bigger. As artists grow more entrepreneurial and fans grow more experience-hungry, we’ll see more of these hybrid formats: part festival, part retreat or part show, part story. And the formats will only get more imaginative.
Destination music experiences offer fans an invitation into a shared story, while giving artists and producers a canvas to curate a space where their history, creativity, and fandom intersect. And these moments resonate long after the final note.
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“Why Music Fans Are Traveling for Connection, Not Just Concerts” first appeared on Hypebot.com.
