Gen Z Is Ditching Alcohol at Concerts—Here's What They're Using Instead

Beer lines at concerts used to snake around the entire concourse. Now? Half empty, even at sold-out shows. Meanwhile, security is pulling more vape pens from bags during pat-downs than ever before.

Something shifted in concert culture, and the alcohol industry is quietly freaking out about it. Gen Z just doesn't drink at live music events the way Millennials did.

The Numbers Are Wild

Young adults are drinking way less than previous generations did at the same age. But the drop-off at concerts and festivals hits different—beverage sales to attendees under 27 have fallen measurably at major venues, even though ticket sales to that same group keep climbing.

What replaced all those beer sales? Cannabis. Specifically vapes.

Walk through any festival camping area now, and the smell has changed. Less stale beer, more weed. Security staff will tell you the same thing—they're confiscating way more vape pens than alcohol bottles from underage attendees.

Why Everyone's Switching

Gen Z watched Millennials turn every concert into a sloppy mess. The throwing up in Ubers, the blacked-out Instagram stories, the next-day hangovers that waste entire Sundays. Most younger concertgoers looked at that and said, "nah, we're good."

Social media made being drunk way less appealing, too. Your worst moment used to disappear into someone's forgotten camera roll. Now it lives forever on TikTok. A discreet vape doesn't create the same viral risk as stumbling around with beer sloshing everywhere.

Then there's the practical stuff. Concert beers cost $15-18 at most venues now. That's insane. Plus, the constant bathroom trips, the long lines, and carrying drinks through crowds without spilling them. Products like legal THC vapes sold online fit in your pocket, last the entire show, and don't require leaving your spot every 45 minutes.

Cost matters more to Gen Z than any generation before them. Student debt, high rent, stagnant wages—the financial pressure is real. Spending $75 on five beers versus one vape pen that costs $30 and lasts multiple shows? Pretty obvious choice.

Health awareness plays into it. This generation grew up with way more information about what alcohol actually does to your body. Sleep quality, skin problems, weight gain, liver damage—it's not exactly a secret anymore. Cannabis feels more manageable, especially in controlled doses.

Venues Can't Ignore This

Venue operators hate talking about declining alcohol sales publicly (beverage markups are huge revenue sources), but the data speaks for itself. Some venues have quietly adjusted policies around cannabis use. Designated areas started appearing. Enforcement at outdoor festivals got way more relaxed.

Security teams report completely different crowd dynamics now. Fewer fights. Fewer medical calls. Fewer people are getting ejected for being too drunk and ruining everyone else's experience. Turns out, when people aren't hammered, they cause fewer problems. Shocking, right?

Live Resin Changed Everything

Within the vape world, there's a clear winner. Live resin disposables have become the concert standard because they taste way better and offer more nuanced effects than basic distillate products.

The extraction process keeps terpenes from fresh cannabis intact, creating strain-specific experiences instead of generic "high" feelings. Energizing Sativa blends for electronic shows, relaxing Indica options for chill performances. People like having that control.

Plus, live resin vapes just hit smoother. Nobody wants to be coughing their lungs out during the opening act.

Legal Weirdness Continues

The 2018 Farm Bill created this weird gray area where hemp-derived THC products exist legally-ish. You can order them online, buy them at gas stations in some states, and nobody really knows what the rules are half the time.

State laws make zero sense. Completely legal in one state, felony possession across the border. Festival-goers traveling for shows have to navigate this confusing mess constantly. Some venues are in legal states, others aren't. Good luck figuring out what's allowed where.

Beer Companies Are Scrambling

Major alcohol brands have already invested heavily in cannabis ventures because they saw this coming. Some are developing THC drinks to stay relevant. Others are just hoping the trend reverses somehow (spoiler: it won't).

Concert promoters face tough calls about adapting. Declining beverage sales hurt their bottom line, but they can't exactly force people to drink. Some venues are exploring cannabis sponsorships instead, though federal regulations make everything complicated.

Security policies remain all over the place. One festival confiscates every vape at the gate. The next weekend, security barely looks in bags. Zero consistency.

The alcohol industry built its entire marketing strategy around music festivals and concerts for decades. That playbook doesn't work when your target audience isn't buying what you're selling anymore. Beer companies sponsored every major festival, had branded stages, gave out free samples. Now those marketing dollars are getting redirected because Gen Z just walks past the beer tents.

For younger concertgoers, the switch makes complete sense. They want to enjoy the music without dealing with hangovers, overpriced drinks, and bathroom chaos. Simple as that.