People want the room back.

Phones and social media moved more of life onto screens. Now people pay for real nights, real classes and real people. If you can host one, this is your moment.

Start hosting free See the data

+45%

More spent on live shows in the US since 20221

Phones took over the day.

Most Americans had a smartphone by 2013. TikTok arrived in 2018. Now nearly half of teens say they are online almost constantly.

91%

Of US adults own a smartphone, up from 35% in 20112

Share of US adults who own a smartphone, 2011 to 2025, with TikTok's US arrival in August 2018 marked
Year	Questions
2011	35
2012	45
2013	58
2014	59
2015	69
2016	77
2018	77
2019	81
2021	85
2023	90
2024	91
2025	91

46%

Of US teens are online almost constantly, up from 24% a decade earlier4

16%

Of US teens are on TikTok almost constantly4

And people saw each other less.

Young adults now spend less than half the time with friends they did in 2010. The steepest one-year drop came right after TikTok arrived.

52min

A day with friends, ages 15 to 29, 20245

122min

The same, in 20105

Minutes a day Americans spend with friends, 2010 to 2024, with TikTok's US arrival in August 2018 marked
Year	Ages 15 to 29	Everyone
2010	122	62
2011	115	61
2012	114	60
2013	114	61
2014	98	56
2015	99	54
2016	90	52
2017	85	48
2018	90	47
2019	68	39
2020	54	26
2021	51	27
2022	52	29
2023	57	29
2024	52	30

25%

Of US men aged 15 to 34 felt lonely for much of the day before6

18%

Of all US adults said the same6

So they went looking for the room.

Since the world reopened in 2022, spending on live shows grew 2.5 times faster than spending overall. People want to be somewhere, with someone.

US spending, 2022 = 1001

US spending on live shows, gyms and clubs, goods and everything, 2015 to 2025, rebased so 2022 = 100
Year	Live shows	Gyms, clubs and sports	Everything	Goods
2015	76	77	70	67
2016	82	81	72	68
2017	89	85	75	71
2018	94	88	79	74
2019	100	93	82	76
2020	49	66	81	79
2021	64	86	91	93
2022	100	100	100	100
2023	126	114	106	103
2024	133	124	112	106
2025	145	129	118	109

74%

Of Gen Z say in-person experiences matter more than digital ones7

79%

Of 18 to 35s plan to go to more events in 20267

+59%

More running clubs on Strava in one year8

Gadgets got cheaper. Time with a teacher didn't.

Since the iPhone launched in 2007, computer prices fell 67%. Prices for lessons rose 67%.9

US prices for lessons, concerts and shows, everything, and computers, 2000 to 2025, 2000 = 100, with the iPhone launch in 2007 marked
Year	Lessons with a teacher	Concerts and shows	Everything	Computers
2000	100	100	100	100
2001	104	104	103	72
2002	108	107	104	54
2003	113	113	107	43
2004	117	116	110	37
2005	121	120	113	31
2006	125	124	117	26
2007	130	129	120	24
2008	135	132	125	21
2009	139	134	125	18
2010	141	136	127	17
2011	143	137	131	15
2012	144	140	133	14
2013	147	142	135	12
2014	149	144	137	11
2015	153	147	138	10
2016	156	153	139	10
2017	161	157	142	9
2018	166	160	146	9
2019	169	163	148	9
2020	172	165	150	8
2021	181	170	157	9
2022	186	180	170	8
2023	204	191	177	8
2024	210	198	182	8
2025	217	205	187	8

But hosts don't own the room.

A DJ who wants to throw a night usually goes through people who keep the money, the date and the crowd.

You

You have the talent and the followers

Promoter

Brings a crowd you don't own, and takes a cut

Venue

Picks the date and the production, so every night looks the same

Ticket site

Adds 27% in fees on average10

After

The guests go home as someone else's customers

Firsthand gives you the room.

Turn your followers into members and host experiences only you can give. A chef's two-day class. A DJ's own night.

You

You have the talent and the followers

Members

Your followers join your membership

Experience

You design the night, the class or the weekend, your way

Tickets

Members book. Firsthand keeps 8%, you keep 92%

After

Every guest stays your member for the next one

69%

Of 18 to 35s find events through people they know. Your members are that network.7

Fees as a share of the ticket price

Resale sites1031%

Ticket sites1027%

Firsthand8%

What hosts are building

Rooftop SessionsDJs · from $85

Sunday Supper ClubChefs · from $225

Jiu-Jitsu CampCoaches · from $1,200

Grandmaster NightChess masters · from $250

Perfume StudioPerfumers · from $295

Sunrise Sauna ClubSauna hosts · from $65