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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI: 10.18060/26647                                                                                                  
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

Events and Tourism Review                                     
 
December 2022                                                                                                                                          Volume 5 No. 2      
   
 
The Eudemonic and Hedonic Impacts of Attending Live and Virtual Music and Art Events 

 

 
Philippa Kirwan 
 
Samantha Morris 
 
Technological University Dublin, Ireland 
 
Correspondence: samantha.morris@TUDublin.ie (S. Morris) 

 

 
 
 
 
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Recommended Citation 
Kirwan, P. & Morris, S. (2022 The Eudemonic and Hedonic Impacts of Attending Live and 
Virtual Music and Art Events. Events and Tourism Review, 5(2), 1-15.  

 
 

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Kirwan, P. & Morris, S. (2022) / Events and Tourism Review, 5(2), 1-15. 
2 

Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 
 

 
 

Abstract 
 
This paper examines the under-investigated well-being impacts of arts and music events attendance, 
in both a live and virtual capacity. Using eudaimonia and hedonia as a measure for well-being, three 
objectives were investigated; 1) Do live arts and music events meet attendees eudemonic and 
hedonic needs? 2) Do virtual arts and music events meet attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? 
3) How do live and virtual music and art events compare in meeting attendees eudemonic and 
hedonic needs? The study focused on attendee’s experiences having attended both live and virtual 
events. Using nine semi-structured interviews this research found that live music and art events offer 
more eudemonic and hedonic impacts for the attendee than virtual events. Additionally, participants 
at live events experienced hedonia, although it was unclear whether all participants experienced 
eudaimonia, achieving overall well-being. Participants of virtual events, on the other hand felt that 
the social aspects and atmosphere were lacking, while a few of the participants did not achieve any 
eudemonic or hedonic impacts on their well-being. 
 

Keywords: Events; Music and Arts; Wellbeing; Eudaimonia; Hedonia 
 

 
 

 
Introduction 
 

There has been a great deal of research carried out regarding the impacts of the events 
industry. Although most literature has focused on the economic, environmental and tourism aspects, 
the well-being impacts of attendees remains underdeveloped. Literature that does cover the well-
being impacts generally focuses on sports events, leaving the well-being impacts of music and art 
events yet to be explored. In addition, Fraser, et al., (2021) indicated there was not sufficient 
research available to determine whether virtual music and arts events could impact the attendee’s 
well-being. With that in mind this research investigates the well-being impacts for attendees of live 
and virtual arts and music events. The research has three objectives 1) Do live arts and music events 
meet attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? 2) Do virtual arts and music events meet attendees 
eudemonic and hedonic needs? 3) How do live and virtual music and art events compare in meeting 
attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? 

Well-being can be measured using two elements, eudaimonia and hedonia (Seaborne et al., 
2019). Eudaimonia means to achieve happiness through living well (Saragih & Amelia, 2020), while 
hedonia means to achieve happiness through experiencing pleasure (Saragih & Amelia, 2020; Ryan, 
Huta, & Deci, 2008). When someone experiences both eudaimonia and hedonia, they have achieved 
overall well-being. 
 
Literature review 
 
Eudaimonia 

Eudaimonia originates from the Greek philosopher Aristotle and means of doing and living 
well. At music and arts events, a person can achieve full eudaimonia by being a transcendentalist. 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

This means to seek a balance of pleasure and escapism while experiencing self-reflection and 
personal meaning throughout the event (Saragih & Amelia, 2020).  

 
Hedonia 

Hedonia originates from the Greek philosopher Aristippus and means pleasure or a positive 
sensation. Hedonia can often leave long-term effects of gratification, nonetheless, it cannot single-
handedly lead to well-being. While attendees sometimes visit music or arts events with the sole 
motive of seeking hedonic pleasure, some attendees have learning motives too (Saragih & Amelia, 
2020; Ryan, Huta, & Deci, 2008). 

 
Social impact of music and arts events 

The social impacts of music and arts events is an area that has been somewhat neglected in 
research, yet equally as important as other event impacts. Literature surrounding the social impacts 
of music and arts events generally focused on the impacts of the event functionalities and 
characteristics that can influence the attendee’s experience, the impacts of social capital and social 
cohesion within communities, and the positive impacts creative music and arts participation can 
have on personal development or identity salience.  

Research conducted by Luonila & Kinnunen (2020) focused on finding whether the event 
attendees desires were similar to the event organisers desires. Luonila & Kinnunen (2020) explored 
the characteristics of a good arts event and the impact those qualities may have on the attendee’s 
experience. For example, the practical facilities such as toilets, food, and other functionalities found 
at events as well as the entertainment itself.  

Hixson (2014, p. 5) highlights the importance of music and arts events for personal 
development or identity salience, “the importance of an identity for defining ones self-relative to 
other identities the individual holds”. The impacts art participation can have on personal 
development include behavioural modification, attitudinal change, relationship development or 
enhancement, psychological well-being, improved communication skills and increased awareness. 
Specifically for younger age groups music and arts events encourage people to try on different 
personalities with the possibility of determining their future self, ensuing identity salience. Fraser, et 
al., (2021) share similar opinions, suggesting audience participation at live music or arts events is 
understood to create positive impacts on the attendee’s social well-being.  

While those journal articles display characteristics of eudaimonia focusing mainly on 
personal growth and development, they do not include the hedonic benefits events can offer to 
attendees. 

 
Music events and well-being  

Literature exploring the well-being impacts of attending music events are scarce. However, 
Ballantyne, et al., (2014) and Ballantyne (2011) have examined the impacts and the psychological 
and social benefits of music events. Attending music events such as concerts and festivals are the 
ideal listening experience. The music connection between performers and the attendees, along with 
the interactions with other event attendees are important factors that contribute to the overall 
experience of a music event. The music event atmosphere also assists in providing a positive 
experience for the attendee (Ballantyne, Ballantyne, & Packer, 2014; Ballantyne J. P., 2011). 
According to  Ballantyne, (2011) active participation in music such as attending the event can 
contribute to identity development by providing the opportunity to self-express, enhance moods, and 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

increase spirituality. Similarly, Ballantyne, et al., (2014) suggests music festivals provide the 
environment for attendees to develop psychologically, for example, personal growth, social well-
being, self-expression, social integration and psychosocial well-being. Ultimately, those two sources 
have discovered music events provide eudemonic and hedonic experiences for the attendee 
(Ballantyne, Ballantyne, & Packer, 2014; Ballantyne J. P., 2011). Nevertheless, it has not yet been 
discovered whether virtual music events can offer the same overall well-being impacts for the 
attendee, thus presenting a gap within the literature.  

 
Arts events and well-being 

There is insufficient literature focusing primarily on the well-being impacts of attending arts 
events. Nevertheless, research conducted by Totterdell & Poerio (2020) and Weziak-Białowolska & 
Białowolski (2018) discovered there are great impacts that can be achieved through attending art 
events. A range of arts events are available such as art galleries, theatres, exhibitions, plays and 
concerts. According to Weziak-Białowolska & Białowolski (2018) attending those artistic events 
can enhance a person’s emotions, moods, psychological state and artistic activities (Weziak-
Białowolska & Białowolski, 2018). Similarly, Totterdell & Poerio (2020) suggests attending art 
events can have eudemonic and hedonic benefits. For example, the pleasurable experiences spent 
surrounded by art can increase the hedonic impacts. Whereas elevating feelings such as life 
meaning, personal growth and the inspiration to create art is identified as eudemonic responses to an 
aesthetic environment. Both of those journal articles outline related outcomes to attending the art 
events such as eudaimonia, hedonia, prosociality, improved cognitive functions, healthier 
behaviours, reduced anxiety and stress (Totterdell & Poerio, 2020). Therefore, it is clear art events 
can have positive impacts on the attendee’s overall well-being, although it has not been discovered 
whether virtual art events can have the same impacts as live events. This suggests there is a gap 
within the literature.  

 
The power of creativity to enhance well-being 

Mental well-being is a combination of eudaimonia and hedonia (Paleari, Pivetti, Galati, & 
Fincham, 2021; O'Connor, et al., 2020). Literature has researched the power creativity has to 
enhance someone’s well-being e.g., music and arts (Kirrman, 2010). According to Kirrman (2010), 
the arts can inspire well-being and creative participation within a person, while attending festivals 
and events can encourage people to stop living in their heads. A person who lives inside their own 
head is constantly reflecting inwards. For example, over-thinking or over-analysing the future and 
the past (usage, 2016). Whereas valuing the time amongst friends, family and society while being 
surrounded by music and arts can help a person escape this feeling. Attending festivals and events 
can have a transcendentalist effect on people to become more involved in activities such as creative 
workshops, public art exhibitions, fashion shows or music-making (Kirrman, 2010; Clarke & 
Knifton, 2009; Saunders J. , 2005). 

However, during Covid-19 there was less opportunities to attend music or arts events, never 
mind gaining involvement in community music or arts activities. Social distancing and quarantining 
have forced people to limit their movements. This raises many questions regarding those creative 
outputs. For example, what activities have people found to fulfil the need of eudaimonia or hedonia, 
and can those activities replace festivals and events long-term? This will either verify the 
importance of music and art festivals to enhance a person’s well-being or confirm people have 
evolved towards other sources of creative entertainment.  

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Virtual events and wellbeing  
In 2019, pre-covid the NHS in the UK identified that people’s reliance on technology and 

social media is creating a barrier for social situations negatively affecting well-being. Whereas 
nowadays, social media and technology have become the forefront for facilitating social connections 
and interactions (Tonkin & Whitaker, 2021), it is possible Covid-19 has cemented the reliance on 
social media and technology for social interactions. If online events and hybrid events are fully 
established, will they be socially sustainable, or will festivals and events resume as before?  

Vinnicombe & Sou (2017) and Gilchrist (2009) believe that the festival atmosphere was a 
leading motivator in attending live events. Gloor (2020) confirms this by admitting while online 
experiences are great, they simply cannot replace the experience from a live show. The energy 
between attendees, performers and others involved is much greater than “when you’re looking at a 
computer screen” (Gloor, 2020, p. 13). Therefore, it is critical to receive feedback surrounding the 
atmosphere and social aspects from those who have attended both live and virtual events. It is also 
important to compare the eudemonic and hedonic benefits of both live and virtual events. This will 
inform event organisers whether their events are enabling attendees to achieve well-being. Overall, 
this is a defining moment for the future of music and arts events. People might be willing to tolerate 
or enjoy online interaction during covid-19 lockdowns, although long-term factors such as 
atmosphere and socialisation might influence the return of social events. 

 
Eudaimonia and Hedonia since Covid-19 

According to Yang, et al (2020) in a study that was carried out in Asia during the first wave, 
lockdown rules are changing people’s social activities as well as their purchasing habits. People are 
investing less in hedonic products and activities used for entertainment or personal interests, rather 
focusing on a utilitarian lifestyle. However, Tonkin & Whitaker (2021) contradict this statement by 
saying, ‘in the current climate of fear and anxiety generated by the coronavirus pandemic, 
playfulness is being used as a recognised coping strategy to frame and re-frame situations during 
times of stress and emotional distress’ (Tonkin & Whitaker, 2021, p. 2). This begs the question if 
people are seeking escapism and life satisfaction during the pandemic through eudemonic or 
hedonic methods. If so, this study will investigate what types of eudemonic and hedonic pleasures 
people are pursuing during the pandemic, specifically focusing on the music and arts event attendees 
during these unprecedented times.  

One of the most distressing features of the coronavirus response is the strict social distancing 
which has been extended beyond a year, ‘contradicting everything that drives us as a social species’ 
(Tonkin & Whitaker, 2021, p. 2). Loneliness, social isolation and entrapment are a few of the 
consequences of the pandemic. Tonkin & Whitaker (2021) claim ‘A lack of social connection is bad 
for physical and mental health and loneliness increases the likelihood of premature mortality by 
26%’ (Tonkin & Whitaker, 2021, p. 1). This is a horrifying statement considering options for social 
interactions have been decreased vastly. People worldwide have experienced an immense reduction 
of social interactions and personal freedoms ultimately disrupting eudemonic and hedonic growth. 
In 2017, the UK all Party Parliamentary Group on arts, health and well-being identified the 
importance of the creative arts for health and well-being in a comprehensive and evidence-based 
report (Tonkin & Whitaker, 2021). Identifying whether participants have experienced loneliness, 
social isolation and entrapment as a result of the decrease in social events will help support the 
argument surrounding the importance of live music and arts events.  

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Virtual events since Covid-19 
The Covid-19 outbreak has shaken the live music and arts industry. Festivals, concert tours 

and exhibitions have been postponed or temporarily cancelled. By March 12th, 2020, two of the 
world’s largest live event companies, Live Nation and AEG were forced to suspend all events for 
the foreseeable future (Gloor, 2020). Times were unprecedented for almost a year and a half; 
however, people are still uncertain what the future holds for events. Many music and arts event 
companies have shifted to host online virtual events. Users of the online live streaming website 
‘Twitch’ have risen by 524%. Pre-Covid Twitch had an average of 92,000 monthly viewers, 
however during March 2020 views rose to 574,000 (Gloor, 2020). Fraser, et al., (2021) describe 
those virtual experiences as ‘networked collectivism’, explaining how those virtual events “provide 
opportunities for computer-mediated sharing of cultural [events] in real-time or asynchronously” 
(Fraser, Crooke, & Davidson, 2021, p. 3). Specifically, during times of loneliness and reduced social 
interactions, virtual events can act as a social surrogate providing attendees with a form of 
entertainment. Virtual event attendees have been interacting through social platforms such as 
Twitter and other forms of online discourse such as chat boxes. On Twitter, the attendees use 
hashtags and keyword terms for specific events in their interactions. This allows for other attendees 
to create discussion and acknowledge the impacts of that particular event (Fraser, Crooke, & 
Davidson, 2021).  

During these extraordinary times, musicians and artists have adapted their delivery of music 
into digital means e.g., virtual events. There have been collaborations through online platforms from 
professional and amateur musicians, actors and artists. Online communities are forming in an effort 
to make the social distancing somewhat tolerable (Fraser, Crooke, & Davidson, 2021; Tonkin & 
Whitaker, 2021). Considering virtual events have gained popularity since Covid lockdowns, there is 
deficient research available to determine whether virtual music and arts events have the ability to 
trigger emotional contagion, enhancing the attendees eudemonic and hedonic well-being (Fraser, 
Crooke, & Davidson, 2021). It is important to establish whether music and art events hosted online 
can have the same eudemonic and hedonic impacts as live events, or do they exist merely for 
lockdown entertainment purposes. If festival attendees are satisfied with attending those online 
events, what will this mean for the future of live music and arts events in a post-Covid world?  
 
 Methodology 
 

This research investigated three objectives; 1) Do live arts and music events meet attendees 
eudemonic and hedonic needs? 2) Do virtual arts and music events meet attendees eudemonic and 
hedonic needs? 3) How do live and virtual music/art events compare in meeting attendees 
eudemonic and hedonic needs? The research was qualitative in nature and employed nine semi-
structured interviews. 

The research population consisted of music and arts event enthusiasts. To ensure the 
participants were appropriate for the interview, criteria were formed. 

The criteria included the following three standards: 
1. The participant must have attended at least one live music and arts event pre-Covid. 
2. The participant must have attended at least one virtual music or arts event during Covid lockdowns.  
3. Participants must be above the age of 18 years old. 

Participants were approached via Instagram using the self-selection sampling approach, 
The participants were not asked direct questions in relation to eudaimonia, hedonia or any of 

their elements. However, the questions developed were open and allowed the participant to answer 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

honestly and in a non-biased manner. Examples of the questions asked included: Could you describe 
what inspired you to attend the music/ arts event/ festival? Could you describe how you felt before 
attending the music/arts event? Could you see any changes in your well-being during or after 
attending the virtual festival/event? 

Interviews lasted between 30-35 minutes and were conducted over MS Teams. All 9 
interviews were recorded. Content analysis was conducted to determine emerging themes. Results 
were analysed using a framework developed by Seaborn, et al., (2020) which was previously used to 
measure hedonia and eudaimonia impacts of a sports event of an older population. The dyad 
framework (figure 1) was appropriate to use for this research question as the aims and objectives 
were similar to Seaborn et al., (2020) study. 
 

 
Figure 1: Framework to measure Eudaimonia and Hedonia as proposed by Seaborn, et al., (2020) 
 
Findings and discussion 
 
Objective 1: Eudemonic and Hedonic impacts of attending live events 

The first objective focused on the impacts the participants experienced having attended live 
music or arts events. Participants were asked to describe their involvement in the event, e.g., 
involvement with peers, music, or other available activities. Table 1 below shows the hedonic 
impacts for attendees at live events, while Table 2 shows the eudemonic impacts for attendees of 
live events. 

 
Table 1: Hedonic impacts for attendees at live events 
Hedonic impacts as proposed by Seaborn et 
al., (2020) 

Examples of impact from interviews 

Relaxation ‘some good stories with friends’. 
Comfort  ‘stay with whomever I go with, so I don’t get 

lost in crowds’. 
Fun ‘you’d be smashing out of breath coming out 

of the venue, singing and dancing all night’. 
‘Expressiveness’. 
‘good buzz’ 

Pleasure ‘another girl started speaking to us and we 
hung out with her for the whole evening’. 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 
‘there is nothing I love more than seeing a 
painting I have admired for a long while and 
seeing it in real life.’ 

 
 
Table 2: Eudemonic impacts for attendees at live events 
Eudemonic impacts as proposed by Seaborn 
et al., (2020) 

Examples of impact from interviews 

Meaning ‘some good stories with friends’. 
‘it was my first festival with my brother, so it 
was a great experience to go with him and 
bring him to a music event’. 

Personal Growth  ‘feed the soul’ and ‘inspired’ 
‘regroup [their] feelings’ 
‘own pace and be with [their] own thoughts 
and enjoy it on [their] own’ 

Expressiveness singing and dancing. 
‘Expressiveness’. 
 

Self-actualisation another world’ 
 

Four of the participants described their participation at the event as interactions with their 
friends and family. Positive interactions among friends, family and peers have both eudemonic 
‘Meaning’ and hedonic ‘Pleasure’. One participant explained her interactions with other event 
attendees and described a couple of instances where she made connections at the event. According 
to Kirrman (2010), Clarke & Knifton (2009), and Saunders (2005), spending time with friends, 
family and peers while also being surrounded by music and arts can have a significantly positive 
impact on someone’s well-being. Similarly, Getz (2019) and Gilchrist (2009) suggest socialisation 
at events help the attendee build relationships with peers and develop hedonistic values such as a 
sense of belonging or camaraderie. Therefore, findings from the interviews and the literature support 
each other. Overall, it is evident those four participants experienced both eudemonic and hedonic 
well-being as a result of socialisation at the event. 

Two participants described their involvement with the live music event as dancing and 
singing. Dancing and singing could be described as both ‘Fun’ and ‘Expressiveness’. Fun is on the 
hedonic side of the dyad and expressiveness is on the eudemonic side of the dyad, therefore the 
involvement from those participants suggests they may have achieved overall well-being throughout 
the event.   

The participants were then asked how they felt during or after the live event, and whether 
they could see any changes in their well-being. Seven of the participants stated they were happier 
which implies they experienced pleasure from the hedonic side of the dyad throughout the event. 
While two of the participants described the event as a ‘good buzz’, which indicates they had fun 
throughout the event, which is also on the hedonic side of the dyad. This indicates most of the 
benefits participants experienced as a result of the music and arts event were hedonic.   

Two participants described their experience at the event as a bonding experience with their 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

friends, family and peers. This would suggest those participants gained a sense of ‘Meaning’. 
Developing a sense of meaning after attending an event would be considered a eudemonic 
characteristic. Five of the participants stated the event had an overall positive impact on their well-
being. For the participant to experience overall positive impacts on their well-being it would suggest 
they experienced both eudaimonia and hedonia at some stage during the event.  

Ryan, et al., (2008) believes hedonia can often leave long-term impacts of gratification, 
although it does not have the power to achieve overall well-being. This is confirmed by Paleari, et 
al., (2021) and O'Connor, et al., (2020) who have stated overall well-being is a combination of 
eudaimonia and hedonia. In contrast, more than half of the participants claim they felt positive 
impacts on their overall well-being as a result of attending the live event. This would indicate the 
majority of the participants did experience both eudaimonia and hedonia at some stage during the 
live event.  

 
Objective 2: Eudemonic and Hedonic impacts of attending virtual events 

The second objective focused on the impacts the participants experienced having attended 
virtual music or art events. Table 3 below shows the hedonic impacts for attendees at virtual events, 
while Table 4 shows the eudemonic impacts for attendees of virtual events. 

 
Table 3: Hedonic impacts for attendees at virtual events 
Hedonic impacts as proposed by Seaborn et 
al., (2020) 

Examples of impact from interviews 

Relaxation ‘no crowds’ 
Fun ‘I’d put on a glittery dress, I might make a 

margarita, and I have these disco lights I 
bought myself’. 

Pleasure ‘the closest thing to the real thing’ while 
another participant said they were ‘hoping 
that a virtual music event would fill the void 
of not getting to go to any live events.’ 
‘see if [the virtual event] could bring the 
atmosphere, and the same feeling of 
happiness you get when you’re at a live 
event’ 
‘curious but not very excited because you’d 
miss the feeling of being part of a social 
event, but you are just sitting in front of your 
computer watching it, it’s very passive’. 
‘I was really chasing that feeling’ 
‘there was always people talking about it on 
Twitter or a group on Twitter with a hashtag 
talking about [the virtual event]. So I’d 
engage that way.’ 
 

 
 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

Table 4: Eudemonic impacts for attendees at virtual events 
Eudemonic impacts as proposed by Seaborn 
et al., (2020) 

Examples of impact from interviews 

Meaning ‘a few bands that I like had new albums and 
stuff out, so it was good to see them perform 
in the virtual world’. 

Personal Growth ‘get a little inspired and take out my paint set 
myself and do stuff’. 

Expressiveness ‘the closest thing to the real thing’  
 ‘hoping that a virtual music event would fill 
the void of not getting to go to any live 
events.’ 

 
Four of the participants stated there was no opportunity to interact or participate in the 

virtual event. This was the most common response to this question. This is similar to what Gloor 
(2020) found in their study where virtual events were compared to looking at a computer screen. 
This would indicate that for these participants, the that the virtual events they attended did not offer 
opportunities to become involved ultimately creating no eudemonic or hedonic impacts.  

Four participants highlighted the opportunity to chat among peers via chat box during the 
virtual event, although none of the participants got involved with those chat boxes. Therefore, those 
events did offer the opportunity for eudemonic expression among peers, although none of the 
participants gained any eudemonic impacts from this feature. As can be seen in Table 3, one 
participant mentioned threads were available on Twitter. This gave virtual event attendees the 
opportunity to ‘Express’ themselves also allowing for eudemonic impacts. 

Another participant mentioned there was a Question-and-Answer session before the music 
event began, therefore creating engagement between the artists and audience. The participant did not 
take part in this question-and-answer session, although they did highlight the fact a question-and-
answer session would not happen at a regular music event. Therefore, the virtual event created an 
opportunity for attendees to get involved. This adds to the value of the event and creates a sense of 
eudemonic meaning for those attendees.  

Two participants who attended arts events took a guided tour which created a small bit of 
participation with the artwork. It allowed for an in-depth understanding of each art piece. While the 
other participant who attended an arts events acknowledged the opportunity to read about the art 
pieces. Therefore, the participation available at those art events created hedonic pleasure for the 
attendees. Both those participants also admitted attending the virtual arts event inspired them to 
create their own art pieces from home while stating they would not be as inspired to go home and 
create art after attending a live art event.  According to Kirrman (2010) Clarke & Knifton (2009) 
and Saunders (2005), attending events can have a transcendentalist impact on people to become 
more involved in arts and music. Results here suggest that virtual arts event inspired hedonic 
‘Pleasure’ and eudemonic ‘Expressiveness’.  

The participants were then asked how they felt during or after the virtual event, and whether 
they could see any changes in their well-being. Four of the participants believed the virtual event 
positively impacted their well-being and they felt happier after afterwards. This indicates those 
participants gained both hedonic pleasure and eudemonic expressiveness as a result of attending the 
event. In contrast, two of the attendees felt it had the opposite effect, making them feel somewhat 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

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depressed after attending the virtual event. This suggests the virtual event negatively impacted their 
well-being. The other three participants stated the virtual events were good although not as good as 
live events and felt no change to their well-being. 

Nonetheless, three of the participants enjoyed the virtual event because there were no crowds 
of people in attendance. This would indicate those participants experienced hedonic relaxation and 
comfort as a result of the event.  Alternatively, three other participants thought the event felt empty 
as if the crowd and atmosphere were missing. This suggests, for these, a virtual event was lacking 
eudemonic meaning.  Fraser, et al., (2021) indicated there was not sufficient research available to 
determine whether virtual music and arts events could impact the attendee’s well-being. However, 
findings to this objective suggest that there were more positive impacts than negative impacts for 
attendees at virtual events. 

 
Objective 3:  How do live and virtual event experiences compare 

The final objective focused on comparing the live and virtual events aiming to establish 
whether or not they could both offer a quality experience for the attendee. Table 5 below shows the 
themes from the findings when attendees compared impacts of live and virtual events. 

 
Table 5: Themes related to comparison of live and virtual experiences 
Live events Virtual events 
Increased social connections and interactions  Opportunities for different types of 

interaction such as Question and Answers 
session 

Enjoy social aspects before, during and post 
event. Building anticipation 

Less opportunity for interaction with other 
attendees before, during and after event 

Sense of escapism Sense of escapism 
More atmosphere and energy   Provides a front row seat to an event 
Increase in overall wellbeing,  Environmentally friendly,  
 Chance to observe at own pace, 

 
The final objective focused on comparing the live and virtual events aiming to establish 

whether or not they could both offer a quality experience for the attendee. The first question asked 
the participants to compare their experiences having attended both live and virtual music or arts 
events. Two of the participants felt live and virtual events could not be compared as they were 
completely different types of experiences. Whereas four of the participants felt live events create 
more of a connection between peers, performers and the arts. Three of the participants believed the 
live events were more enjoyable than virtual events, while two of the participants felt there was 
more energy and atmosphere at live events. Two of the participants stated they look forward to the 
entire day of the live event, meaning the pre-event ventures and the activities after the event. These 
findings confirm the literature with both Getz, (2019) and Gilchrist (2009) highlighting how positive 
social experiences can influence further participation in events. This would suggest those 
participants who had positive social experiences at the live events would be inclined to attend live 
events in the future. Whereas those participants who missed the social aspects at the virtual events 
would be less likely to attend a virtual event in the future. Alternatively, one participant stated they 
were happy not having to travel to the virtual event meaning they could attend the event from the 
comfort of their own home. While a different participant highlighted virtual events are more 

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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

environmentally friendly than live events. Another participant enjoyed the fact every attendee had a 
front-row seat at the virtual event. Overall, the participants had split opinions when it came to 
comparing live and virtual events, although it seems participants were in favour of live events.  
The second comparative question asked participants if they felt live and virtual events offer the 
same opportunities for the attendee. The majority of the participants believed live and virtual events 
do not offer the same opportunities, although they both offer different opportunities. This is similar 
to Gloor (2020)’s opinion stating online experiences cannot replace those of a live event. However, 
two participants who had attended virtual arts events felt they offered greater opportunities than live 
events, including Q&A sessions and a chance to observe art at a more relaxed pace. Both 
participants were also inspired to create their own artwork after attending virtual art events, 
therefore creating more eudemonic opportunities. This suggests the virtual events had more 
transcendentalist opportunities, while the live events had more pleasure-seeking experiences for the 
attendee’s (Kirrman, 2010; Clarke & Knifton, 2009; Saunders, 2005). Overall, the results of this 
question have indicated live events have more eudemonic and hedonic opportunities for the 
attendee. 

The final comparative question asked the participants whether live or virtual events impacted 
their well-being the most. Seven of the participants stated live events impacted their well-being the 
most. Two of the participants felt virtual events impacted their well-being the most. Clarke & 
Knifton, (2009), Kirrman, (2010) and Saunders (2005) state social outings such as events have the 
power to increase the quality of life and the overall well-being of the attendee. The results from the 
findings agree with this statement considering seven out of nine participants in this study claim their 
overall well-being was more improved after a live event. Those findings would suggest the virtual 
music and arts events offered a sense of escapism throughout the pandemic, unfortunately, they 
could not offer social impacts or atmosphere for the attendees. Therefore, the future of virtual music 
and art events is uncertain. However, considering the virtual events industry is relatively new, there 
are opportunities for innovations to improve the attendee experience. Event organisers should use 
feedback from virtual event attendees to further develop the social aspects of the attendee’s virtual 
experience. Ultimately making the future of virtual events more promising.  
 
Conclusion 
 

This research has concluded that live events offer more positive experiences for the 
attendees overall well-being than virtual events. It has been discovered that live events are valued 
and needed for the eudemonic and hedonic impacts they can provide for the attendee. Although, it is 
clear from the findings virtual arts events provide more eudemonic and hedonic impacts than virtual 
music events. Nevertheless, virtual events served a great purpose throughout the pandemic, although 
it seems music and art event enthusiasts are eager for the return of live events.  
Limitations  

Due to Covid lockdowns and restrictions, it meant the interviews were conducted virtually. 
This was limiting as many participants may not have felt as comfortable conducting such a personal 
interview via zoom. In addition, because the research was conducted during COVID-19, this 
research reflects a particular time and place, i.e., during a global pandemic. It is recommended 
further studies be conducted in the future when music and art event enthusiasts have the option to 
attend either live or virtual events.  

 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
               Copyright © 2022 Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

 

 

 
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Events and Tourism Review Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022), 1-15, DOI:  10.18060/26647                                                                                                 
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	Abstract
	Eudaimonia
	Hedonia
	Music events and well-being
	Arts events and well-being

	The power of creativity to enhance well-being
	Virtual events and wellbeing
	Eudaimonia and Hedonia since Covid-19
	Virtual events since Covid-19
	The final objective focused on comparing the live and virtual events aiming to establish whether or not they could both offer a quality experience for the attendee. Table 5 below shows the themes from the findings when attendees compared impacts of li...
	The final objective focused on comparing the live and virtual events aiming to establish whether or not they could both offer a quality experience for the attendee. The first question asked the participants to compare their experiences having attended...


