Acceptability of cashless payment technologies at festivals: the case of Primavera Sound Porto

This study investigates the acceptability and influencing factors of new payment methods at a festival, focusing on socio-demographics, behaviour (e.g., ticket type, spending, satisfaction), and temporal trends. It compares the use of TechPay (e.g., MBWay, Apple/Google Pay) and ClassicPay (cash and card) at Primavera Sound Porto in 2022 and 2023. Using logistic regression on a sample of 2,681 respondents, the research explores how the 2023 initiative to promote digital payments impacted adoption. Results show that younger, more educated, and tech-savvy attendees are more likely to use TechPay. Nationality, satisfaction, and year also significantly affect payment choices. These findings help fill a gap in the literature by combining various datasets to assess digital payment adoption in large festival settings. They provide valuable insights for designing targeted marketing and operational strategies that reflect the preferences of diverse audience segments, ultimately improving the festival experience.