The latest Garden State Panel Omnibus explored arts attendance in the state of New Jersey.
The survey, fielded from June 25-29, 2026, on the Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel, asked a representative sample of n=1,006 NJ adults ages 18 and older about live attendance at six different types of arts events or activities in the 12 months prior to the survey. Findings show that in the post-COVID era live arts attendance is strong, despite challenging economic times for many NJ residents.
Key Findings:
In the past year, 8 in 10 New Jerseyans have attended in person one of the arts events asked about.
In the past 12 months, 80% of New Jersey adults say they’ve gone to at least one type of arts event or activity in person from the list of six activities included in the survey. That equates to roughly 6 million adults across the state and is six percentage points higher than the national rate of 74% from a recent SSRS national survey of adults.
Leading up to the United States’ 250th anniversary, visiting a place for its historic, architectural, or design value topped the list of activities for New Jerseyans, along with going to the movies.
Half of New Jersey adults (49%) have visited somewhere like a park, building, monument, or neighborhood for its historic, architectural, or design value in the past 12 months, and a similar 48% say they’ve gone to see a film. The former may reflect leadup to the United States’ Semiquincentennial on July 4, 2026.
Other activities, such as attending a live performance, visiting an art museum, or attending a craft fair are somewhat less popular in the state. Just 5% of New Jerseyans say they’ve gone to a book reading or poetry/storytelling event in the past year.
Arts attendance in NJ varies by age, income, and education level.
While arts events and activities are generally popular among all groups in New Jersey, some are more likely to go to them than others. Attendance is 89% among New Jersey’s youngest adults (ages 18 to 34) compared to just 68% of those ages 65 and older. Attendance is also higher among New Jerseyans with household incomes of $100,000 per year or more (84%) and those who have a college or postgraduate degree (85%) when compared with those with incomes below $50,000 (74%) and those who have not attended college (72%), respectively.
Arts events and activities are popular choices for families.
86% of parents in New Jersey with children under the age of 18 engaged in person in one of the arts events asked about in the survey, compared to 78% of non-parents. This number is even higher among parents with two or more children, at 88%. Among this group, kid-friendly activities like going to the movies (55%) and visiting a place for its historic, architectural, or design value (46%) are top choices.
New Jerseyans’ personal financial situation is tied to their arts attendance.
New Jersey adults who rate their financial situation as “very bad” are less likely to engage in person in arts activities or events. Just 69% of this group attended in the past year one of the activities asked about, compared to 83% of those who rate their financial situation “very good.” Preferences also vary across these groups: going to the movies is a top choice for those doing “very bad” financially, while visiting places for their historic, architectural, or design value, and attending live performances are more popular choices for New Jerseyans doing “very good.”
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