27th February 2026
What Happens When You Ask Your Audience the Same Questions Every Year?
What Happens When You Ask Your Audience the Same Questions Every Year?
Every year, we work with Tumble Circus to conduct a post-visit audience survey for Winter Circus in Writer’s Square, Belfast. And that consistency is the key.
Because when you ask the same core questions annually, you don’t just collect feedback. You build a pattern and see shifts. You spot progress. You catch problems early and ultimately? You make better decisions.
In 2025, nearly 400 people took part in the Winter Cricus survey – here’s what it added to our ongoing knowledge…
Loyalty you can track, not just assume
Winter Circus continues to deliver a strong emotional experience.
On their own, the figures below are encouraging.
But because this survey happens annually, Tumble Circus can see whether loyalty is strengthening, plateauing or slipping.
That turns “our audience loves us” into something measurable…
90% strongly agree they feel happier for coming
51% attend because they’ve had a good experience there before
38% attend every Christmas
Place impact that can be evidenced
Winter Circus doesn’t just entertain. It brings people into a part of the city they wouldn’t normally visit.
The figures below are clear evidence of cultural activation.
When you gather this data year on year, you can demonstrate sustained place impact. Not just a one-off festive spike
65% hadn’t attended any other events in Writer’s Square in the past 12 months
43% hadn’t attended any other cultural events in the wider Cathedral Quarter area
Economic ripple effects
87% of Winter Circus audiences visited a local business in Cathedral Quarter:
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38% visited nearby restaurants
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32% visited coffee shops
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28% visited other shops
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18% went to a local bar
That’s the kind of data that strengthens conversations with funders, partners and city stakeholders. And it only carries weight when it’s gathered consistently.
Inclusion strategies that show up in the numbers
This year, Winter Circus recorded a higher percentage of disabled attenders, exceeding the proportion identified in Thrive’s wider IMPACT survey.
Audience members mentioned hearing about the event through organisations such as Mae Murray Foundation and described feeling “so welcomed and well looked after” with “a special inclusive vibe in the whole tent.”
Even more interesting: disabled attenders were more likely to be among Winter Circus’s new audiences.
Because the survey is conducted annually, this isn’t just a nice story. It’s evidence that widening access work is translating into real audience change.
Growth in new audiences, clearly visible
Winter Circus saw a rise in new attenders:
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42% new audiences this year
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33% new audiences last year
With nearly 400 responses, we were able to segment the data between new and returning audiences. That revealed that new attenders were more likely to be aged 16–44 and more likely to identify as disabled.
That level of insight only becomes possible when response rates are strong and data is gathered consistently over time.
The real value of asking every year
A single survey gives you feedback.
An annual survey gives you strategy.
It allows organisations to:
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Track change in audience composition
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Measure the impact of marketing decisions
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Evidence inclusion progress
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Demonstrate place and economic impact
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Make confident, informed adjustments
Winter Circus shows what happens when audience insight becomes part of the annual cycle, not an afterthought.
If you’re collecting audience data sporadically, you’re working from fragments. If you’re collecting it consistently, you’re building a picture that helps you make better decisions.
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