Actively Participating in Live Events as an Avenue for Social Connection

While many studies highlight the benefits of social connection for psychological and physical health, less is known about cultivating connection in daily life. This study explored whether attending live events (e.g., concerts, fitness classes) promotes feelings of social connection. Machine learning analyses revealed that in-person (vs. virtual) events, involving active (vs. passive) participation, and attendance with others (vs. alone) reliably predicted connection, whereas linear regression analyses further identified recurring (vs. one-time) events as a significant predictor. Across 1,551 participants reporting pre- and post-event experiences, these predictors held beyond baseline socioemotional factors (e.g., loneliness) and individual differences (e.g., personality). However, feelings of social connection were not consistently sustained 24 hrs after events with these features. These results suggest that attending in-person, engaging, and recurring events with others is a promising pathway to fostering connection, although additional research is needed to explore how these feelings can be maintained over time.