When we talk about gender inequality in the music industry, we often think of performers—frontwomen breaking boundaries or the lack of female representation on festival lineups. But what about the women behind the scenes? The event managers, tour managers, production staff, and stage crew who make the live music industry run?

In my Master’s research, I set out to explore just that. Titled: Exploring Attitudes Towards Women Working Within Music Events: Barriers to Gender Equality in Rock Music, the study focused on women working in non-performance roles within the rock and live events sector—roles that are vital but often invisible. And what I found was both revealing and, sadly, familiar.

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It’s Not Just About Numbers. It’s About Culture.

We’re told things are improving. And on the surface, they are—more women are entering the industry, and organisations are beginning to talk about equality. But dig deeper and a more complex picture emerges.

Through interviews and a focus group with nine women working across the live events sector, I uncovered four key barriers that continue to shape—and in many cases, limit—the careers of women in these roles:

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1. Gendered Assumptions and Everyday Sexism

Women reported being regularly mistaken for groupies or girlfriends, despite being the ones running the show. The language we use—“merch girl,” “sound guy,” “just the assistant”—may seem harmless, but it reinforces the idea that technical and leadership roles are for men, and supportive or decorative roles are for women (Leonard, 2016; Ridgeway, 2011).

Some participants described adapting their behaviour—toning down their femininity or toughening up—to fit in. Others, consciously or not, used gendered expectations to their advantage, though often with discomfort or internal conflict. This tension reflects Judith Butler’s (1990) theory of gender performativity: how we act out gender to meet expectations rather than express identity.

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2. The Closed Circle: Networking and Gatekeeping

It’s not just what you know, but who you know—and when those circles are male-dominated, women are often left out. Informal hiring practices and word-of-mouth opportunities dominate the industry, making it hard for those without the right connections to break in (Gill, 2002; Wittel, 2001).

Several participants spoke about not being invited to the post-show drinks or the WhatsApp group where gigs get handed out. As Taylor and O’Brien (2017) point out, the myth of a meritocratic creative industry often obscures the reality: a tightly held boys’ club culture.

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3. Education Isn’t Always the Equaliser

Higher education was supposed to level the playing field—but many participants described encountering a “hidden curriculum” in music education, where male students dominated tech-based roles and women were subtly steered toward admin or people-facing tasks (Giroux & Penna, 1979; Raine & Strong, 2019).

Even when qualifications were equal or better, women felt overlooked in favour of men with stronger social ties or more “confident” personalities. Strong & Cuzzino (2016) argue that music education often replicates rather than challenges the gendered structures of the industry.

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4. Imposter Syndrome and Internalised Bias

Perhaps most surprising was the way women internalised these structures. Many expressed feelings of imposter syndrome (Clance & Imes, 1978), doubting their right to be in the room or attributing success to luck or looks.

Some even admitted to judging younger women or feeling reluctant to hire based solely on gender—revealing how deeply embedded these biases can become when you’ve had to fight to be taken seriously.

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So What Can We Do?

This study concluded that real change requires more than quotas or box-ticking. It requires rethinking the way the industry operates—from how jobs are shared, to how students are trained, to how we talk about and support each other as women in music.

Recommendations include:

• Creating formal, transparent hiring practices
• Developing targeted mentorship for women in non-performance roles
• Addressing the gendered “hidden curriculum” in music and events education
• Raising visibility of women in leadership and technical positions
• Fostering solidarity and critical reflection among women in the industry

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Why This Matters

Representation isn’t just about who’s on stage—it’s also about who’s backstage, who’s making decisions, and who’s building the culture we all move within. Until we start valuing the unseen labour of women in these spaces—and challenging the systems that exclude them—we’ll continue to see inequality repeat itself, generation after generation.

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Have you worked in live music or events? Experienced similar challenges—or seen things change for the better?

Let’s start a conversation. Drop your thoughts below or get in touch. I’d love to hear your story.