Panto ticket sales through October are half of what they were this time in 2019, analysis from The Audience Agency (TAA) suggests.
Data from 343 venues for the week commencing October 11 found a 52% drop in tickets sold, a 53% drop in income and 27% drop in performances compared to two years ago.
The decrease reflects audiences' low commitment to attendance: 44% of respondents TAA’s Cultural Participation Monitor said they definitely won't go to a panto this year, compared to 8% who plan to.
Those aged over 65 are most likely to stay away, with two thirds expected not to attend at all this winter.
TAA says a pre-Covid trend of decreasing panto sales is accelerating, presenting a further threat to venues, and warns "venues may need to rethink the festival formula in response to these changes".