We’ve collected examples of the best event websites from arts, culture, & live experience organizations across the globe.
How do you build the best event website to sell tickets, grow revenue, and deepen audience relationships over time?
You start by taking inspiration from organizations similar to your own. Leading arts, culture, & in-person experience organizations and web agencies have shared their most exciting innovations in online event ticket sales, to help inspire your own website improvements. Read on to learn how you could take your audience experience and online event ticketing to another level.
There are many great reasons to improve your event website. First, it’s a vital source of revenue – not only from ticket sales, but from merchandise, concessions, philanthropy, subscriptions, memberships, and more. With targeted, relevant upsells, you can help audience members understand the full scope of your offer, and significantly increase the value of every basket.
Those upsells don’t only benefit your organization. Often, your audience wants to make an evening out even more special, to know how they could save money, or to see personalized recommendations of events they might enjoy.
In this blog, we focus on those two priorities:
Focus on user experience
- Queens Theatre, New York: Balancing brand identity with modern, responsive design
- Discover Children’s Story Centre, London: Workshops and wow factor
- Symphony Space, Manhattan: Creating a more connected online journey
- Perelman Performing Arts Center, New York: Building an accessible booking experience
- Warwick Arts Centre, England: Data-driven improvements and information flow
Focus on revenue streams
- Cheltenham Festivals, England: Bulk-buy events from customer wishlists
- Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Alberta: Growing online merchandise sales
- The Cabot, Massachusetts: Multi-tier memberships and referrals
If you’re just getting started with a website improvement project, or you’re still exploring the right level of investment, explore more of our guidance to help you create a great ticketing site for arts, culture, & live experience organizations.
If you’re looking for inspiration and live examples of our favorite event websites, you’re in the right place.
All of these organizations have identified exactly what they and their audience members need from their event website, and worked with experienced web developers to design solutions that are specific to their needs. Using the Spektrix API, they can sync site pages with all the audience and customer data they need to build powerful, personalized solutions that connect online journeys with what happens in the room.
Take a look, and imagine how these ideas and more could create the best event website for your organization – connecting every interaction, from your event listings to your checkout, into one joined-up experience.
Focus on user experience
Queens Theatre: Balancing brand identity with modern, responsive design
Built by CultureSuite
Queens Theatre is an historic Worlds Fair venue in Queens, New York, committed to preserving cultural heritage while managing a contemporary event website for today’s audiences.
Working with cultural website partners CultureSuite, Queens Theatre implemented a new website alongside their move to Spektrix in 2024. Now, it’s quick and efficient for the team to manage event information online and through onsite digital signage, using a single content management system. They’ve kept their brand identity front and center, showcasing their heritage, events, and nonprofit status; and they’ve enhanced the online experience for audiences with a more responsive site interface for smartphones and tablets.
How does this event website work?
CultureSuite implemented their Peppered CMS platform using a carefully planned “lift and shift” approach that preserved Queens Theatre’s established brand identity while upgrading functionality. The project included design and content migration, built around custom-designed content modules allowing team members to build page layouts without technical expertise; and events information synchronized between the site, event management systems, and digital signage.
This approach ensured a smooth transition with no disruption to operations, while providing Queens Theatre with a futureproof digital foundation that continues to evolve through regular updates.
What’s the impact on audience engagement and sales?
“What used to take our team days now happens in minutes,” notes Jay Rogers, Director of Operations. “This lets us focus on creating exceptional experiences for our diverse Queens community.”
Ticket sales in 2024 – when Queens Theatre switched to Spektrix and launched their new website – were 40% higher than the previous year. The brand, program, and sales journey are working together to bring more people into the theatre.
Discover Children’s Story Centre: Workshops and wow factor
Built by Cog Design
Discover Children’s Story Centre in London is a space for 0-11 year olds and their grownups to play, create, and discover. Visitors select a date to explore the center, then tailor the day with a selection of workshops and activities, from storytelling to discovery trails and immersive funfairs.
Discover have worked with Cog Design since 2019, starting with workshops and discussions to understand the unique needs of young audiences and busy parents. They prioritized responsive design for easy booking on mobile, cross-team collaboration to promote both ticket income and donations, and of course wow factor, to build excitement for a great day out.
How does this complex booking journey work?
This solution draws on the Spektrix API with tools built specifically by Cog to sort through ticketing details, reveal availability, and match up bookings across different events – a complex behind-the-scenes setup that’s simple and intuitive for customers and ticketing and sales teams.
What’s the impact on attendance and giving?
The new event website transformed the way that people booked tickets for Discover, growing overall attendance while reducing phone calls to the team. And with greater visibility for charitable messaging, online donations grew by 600% – building vital, sustainable revenue for the future.
Symphony Space: Creating a more connected online journey
Built by Eyekiller
Symphony Space, a vibrant performing arts center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, showcases an eclectic mix of theatre, film, literature, music, dance, and family entertainment, making it a cultural hub for a diverse audience.
In 2018, Symphony Space partnered with Eyekiller to reimagine their digital presence ahead of the organisation’s 40th anniversary. Since then, the partnership has continued to evolve, with Eyekiller acting as a long-term digital partner – delivering a digital experience that reflects the organisation’s creative spirit, streamlines the audience experience, and maximizes revenue through a tailored Spektrix integration.
With a packed program of live events, livestreams, and a tiered membership scheme ranging from $75 to $10,000, the event website plays a central role in ticket sales, philanthropy, and supporter engagement – all delivered through an accessible, responsive design that puts user experience first.
How does this connected digital journey work?
Eyekiller designed the site using Craft CMS and their custom Spektrix API integration. This setup connects both platforms to sync event and performance data in real time, ensuring the site is always up to date, reducing admin, and helping drive ticket sales. From intuitive browsing and ticket purchases to flexible content management and live-stream tagging, the experience was crafted to support both the audience and internal teams.
Key improvements included:
- Enhanced User Experience (UX) to facilitate seamless browsing and ticket booking
- Spektrix and Craft CMS integration allows for management of event program and site-wide content
- Introduction of livestream events, seamlessly integrated with Spektrix customer accounts using auto-tagging
- Custom-built Spektrix API Membership System providing clear visibility into the benefits of each membership option
What’s the impact on long-term success?
Symphony Space and Eyekiller collaborated closely to create a digital platform that reflects the vibrancy of the organization – and delivers results. It’s a powerful example of how thoughtful digital strategy, a strong partnership, and technical Spektrix integration can set the stage for long-term success.
Since launch, the site has driven:
41% increase in online sales
75% increase in website traffic
82% increase in mobile traffic
Working with Eyekiller has been an incredible experience – they’re creative, responsive, and truly feel like partners. Despite the distance and time difference, collaboration was seamless from start to finish.Johanna Thomsen, Senior Director of Strategy & Engagement
Symphony Space
Perelman Performing Arts Center: Building an accessible booking experience
Built by Substrakt
PAC NYC (Perelman Performing Arts Center) is a bold new arts space in the heart of New York’s World Trade Center, and accessibility has been central to its mission from the beginning.
In 2023, PAC NYC partnered with digital agency Substrakt to launch a new event website to accompany the opening of their building. Soon after, Substrakt implemented Viadukt, their accessible ticketing path integrated with Spektrix, to streamline online ticket purchases.
Substrakt worked closely with PAC NYC to ensure that their new website is not just compliant with accessibility standards, but genuinely usable and welcoming to everyone. From discovery to launch and beyond, accessibility was treated as a core design and development priority, including when accessibility consultants Equal Entry conducted a full audit of the site.
How does this accessible booking experience work?
The website was developed using the Spektrix API to create a custom booking journey tailored to all users. Substrakt conducted extensive testing, including audits with Equal Entry, to identify potential issues and improve the site iteratively based on real user feedback. Accessibility was not seen as a post-launch priority or a one-time checklist; it was embedded into every stage of the project.
The result is a digital experience that goes beyond ADA compliance – from link labeling and keyboard focus to accessible donation flows and meaningful content structure. The site empowers all users, including those using assistive technologies, to confidently browse, book, and engage with PAC NYC’s program.
What’s the impact on inclusion and engagement?
By prioritising accessibility as a goal rather than a requirement, PAC NYC and Substrakt have created an event website that’s better for everyone – faster, clearer, and easier to use, regardless of device or ability.
In order to provide and maintain an accessible experience, we partnered with Substrakt and Equal Entry to implement best practices and incorporate accessibility review in our iterative process. By making accessibility an explicit goal, we’ve delivered a better experience for everyone.Leo Bowen, Digital Product Manager
PAC NYC
All of this work has resulted in a thoughtful, intuitive, and inclusive online experience that reflects the values of the organization – and makes it easier than ever for everyone to connect with PAC NYC’s program.
PAC NYC’s approach sets a benchmark for cultural organizations aiming to offer genuinely inclusive digital journeys.
Warwick Arts Centre: Data-driven improvements and information flow
Built by Grandad Digital
Warwick Arts Centre is one of the UK’s largest multi-artform hubs, bringing together people from the University of Warwick and the wider arts community.
A lasting, 5+ year partnership with Grandad Digital has shown them the value of continually improving their event website to better meet their audience’s needs. That started with a restructure to create streamlined, accessible user journeys. Later, in response to ongoing research and testing, they added a custom cart – creating a more personalized, on-brand experience, with a focus on clarity of information and targeted upsells.
How does this data-driven basket work?
The main site, built with Grandad’s CMS, YouCreate, uses the latest version of the Spektrix API to integrate event and performance data directly into catalog and event pages, and to drive the custom cart experience. Spektrix iframes are still used, but only for seat select and checkout. This mixing and matching of iframe and API integration tools allowed Grandad to balance impact and affordability for Warwick, while keeping the event website connected directly to Spektrix data.
What’s the impact on revenue and efficiency?
When the custom cart went live, Warwick Arts Centre saw a 35% increase in revenue via the website within a single quarter – building revenue for the center and efficiencies for the ticketing and sales team.
READ: Empowering audience connections: The full story of Warwick Arts Centre’s website transformation
Focus on revenue streams
Cheltenham Festivals: Bulk-buy events from customer wishlists
Built by Supercool
Cheltenham Festivals in Gloucestershire, England, produce inclusive festivals and projects focusing on music, science, and the spoken and written word.
Their largest festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, includes over 400 events spread over ten days, with tickets in high demand. In the past, customers might have circled the events that caught their eye in a paper brochure. Today, they need the digital equivalent – and that’s where they worked with web developers Supercool to create a Wishlist feature.
Customers can “favorite” the events they fancy – and when they’ve curated their list, they can bulk-buy those events, add them to a basket, and complete the transaction with the fewest possible clicks.
How does this festival booking journey work?
This solution uses the Spektrix API, through which web developers like Supercool can customize powerful, bespoke journeys based on the unique needs of each organization, in combination with Typesense, a powerful open source search engine. Account login is managed by Spektrix, with customers’ saved events being stored against their customer ID in Typesense. When a customer logs in via their Spektrix account, their saved events are collected from Typesense and displayed on their device. Using Best Available seating plan overlays and the API, customers can purchase all of their events in one click.
What’s the impact on launch-day sales?
After switching to Spektrix and implementing the Wishlist feature in 2023, Cheltenham Festivals more than doubled the proportion of sales completed within the first hour of launch. A robust web journey and intuitive tools meant hardly any customer complaints, and the feedback they did receive has informed a new, improved version to be rolled out in 2025.
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra: Growing online merchandise sales
Built by Sland Studios
Calgary Philharmonic is one of Canada’s most celebrated live music ensembles, welcoming over 100,000 annual visitors to events in spaces across the city.
The orchestra worked with web designers Sland Studios – also based in Calgary – to build an event website for ticketing, subscriptions, and souvenirs from their popular online shop. Customers can choose memorabilia ranging from mugs and gift cards through to apparel, creating an important additional revenue stream to support the Philharmonic’s work.
How does this merchandise journey work?
Sland Studios built their own WordPress plugin to facilitate bespoke integrations with Spektrix, and have used it to build seamless event websites for arts, culture, & live experience organizations across Canada and the US. Listings, seat selection, and upsells are all on-brand, and events can be quickly labeled with information about ticket availability, cast listings, and sponsor details. Merchandise is also sold from within Spektrix, with each item – including the various sizes of T-shirt and hoodie – set up in the back end as individual items. On the site, patrons see a single listing with the option to select their preferred size, creating a smooth, contemporary purchase pathway.
What’s the impact on merchandise revenue?
In 2023, Calgary Philharmonic brought in almost $40,000 in merchandise sales – a vital revenue stream. And now it’s set up on their site, there’s only a little work to keep the money rolling in.
For their boutique range of items, Calgary Philharmonic are successfully managing merchandise sales directly through Spektrix. If merchandise is core to your revenue, Spektrix also supports integrations with point of sale systems and online shopping solutions like Shopify or Square – with every transaction recorded against a single customer record in your Spektrix system.
The Cabot: Multi-tier memberships and referrals
Built by Splitpixel
The Cabot is a stunning cinema, theatre, and music venue in Beverley, Massachusetts, that focuses on building community through arts and social gatherings.
When The Cabot overhauled their membership scheme, they also wanted to present it more clearly on the site. Working with the team from Splitpixel, they designed a page featuring multiple color-coded tier options, with choices to buy individual or joint memberships, set up auto-renewals, or select monthly or annual payments – and a Join Today button for every tier, taking new members straight to the cart to complete their purchase. Once users are members, they can also access private members-only content and events through the site.
How does this membership journey work?
The site’s built using WordPress with the Spektrix API. Additional features built into the checkout flow include a custom referral field, asking new members how they learned about The Cabot’s memberships and storing that data in Spektrix to identify the organization’s best advocates. The Cabot team can also create members-only pages by assigning a specific account tag to a page or event post – only logged-in users with that tag on their account can access the content.
What’s the impact on memberships and giving?
With around 1,500 active members, and philanthropic revenue worth four times the value of ticket sales, The Cabot can fully realize the benefits of its event website – demonstrating its importance to supporters and community members on the North Shore, and creating premium experiences for its members.
Take your website to another level
All of these organizations recognized the vital importance of investing in the best event website to meet their specific needs. Wherever you are on that journey, Spektrix can help you explore more great examples, understand different approaches to managing online event ticket sales, and evaluate your existing site performance as part of a connected audience engagement strategy.
- Evaluate your existing website. Identify what’s working well, and where there’s room for improvement.
- Get started with your new or improved arts website. Develop a brief, and workshop ideas with your team, including how your event website should connect ticketing, memberships, and donations into one joined-up experience.
- Make a case for investment. Help budget holders understand the importance of ongoing, data-driven website improvements as part of long-term organizational sustainability.
- Ensure your site welcomes everyone. Prioritise event website accessibility, and everyone’s experience improves.
