Inside the cultural mind: motivations and decision drivers in performing arts attendance

Purpose This paper aims to explore the motivations behind performing arts consumption and provide actionable insights for arts marketers to enhance audience engagement through targeted strategies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology was applied using 5 focus groups comprising 26 participants from Athens, Greece. Groups were formed using purposive and snowball sampling, based on criteria including age, gender, education level and frequency of cultural consumption. Thematic analysis was used to extract motivational categories and decision-making factors. Findings Six main audience segments emerged: get stimuli, socialiser, art seeker, entertainer, fans and education seekers. The dominant motivation was to “get stimuli,” followed by socialising and temporary entertainment. Entertainment motivations were typically passive, addressing emotional needs such as escapism and relaxation. Key decision-making factors included the performance’s content, contributors and the reputation of the cultural organisation. Motivations were often overlapping, but dominant drivers varied per individual. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its single-city focus on Athens and the cultural context of Greek consumers. Although not generalisable, the findings offer insights that can inform broader qualitative or quantitative cross-cultural studies. Originality/value This research contributes to limited literature on Greek performing arts audiences by identifying specific consumer motivations and linking them with strategic marketing recommendations. It revisits and updates past theoretical models within the context of contemporary societal, financial and technological changes, providing a useful framework for cultural marketers and policymakers.