By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of the world’s youth (World Economic Forum, 2022). Powered by this strong cohort, the continent’s diverse cultural might will come further to the fore in 2024, via trailblazing movements already at play across music, animation, online aesthetics and cinema.

Nearly 70% of people globally say they prefer to spend time in places that spark their imagination, having wearied of a diet of on-demand, at-home entertainment (Wunderman Thompson, 2023). In 2024, IRL (in real life) cultural centres (theatre, music) in the US and UK will answer this call with shapeshifting spaces that provide opportunities for multidynamic, multisensory, and multiperspective experiential entertainment.

Of those people who say they’re part of an entertainment fandom, 55% are more likely to choose a brand that sponsors content related to their fandom (Amazon Ads, 2023). Opportunities to connect abound – as outlined in our Look Ahead 2024, the relatable, trusted, casual critics of TikTok and YouTube are fostering spin-off universes of independent fan content on gaming, TV and internet culture ready for brands to embrace.

In 2024, new livestreaming platforms supported by Web3 tech and heavyweight TV infrastructure will help a burgeoning cohort of DIY pundits and broadcasters expand their reach and monetise their content – via brand partnerships. NBC’s SportsEngine Play is already democratising sportscasting pitch-side, while American entertainment app Shiller combines content creation, live NFT minting, and mainstream brand e-commerce.

The music industry has become the coalface of shifts in creative practice wrought by AI, especially huge growth in AI-powered music-making (See Key Stats). New generative AI benchmark initiatives (with learnings for all other creative industries) include American remix app Hook and a YouTube licensed voice-cloning feature demonstrating how major industry players can navigate 2024’s AI shockwaves by blending control and concession. 

Rumbling since the ‘great resignation’ (pushback on overworking) of the pandemic years, ‘anti-ambition’ has mushroomed into a thriving internet trend centred on rejecting conventions around careers, productivity and ‘hustle culture’. We outline some key sub-trends that will make waves in 2024, plus where these ideas will impact broader entertainment.

Tired of TV and movies fetishising their sexual experiences, Gen Zers are spurring a cultural reckoning around sex in entertainment. The resulting ‘sexcession’ will see shifts away from outdated cultural norms, encompassing reconsidered depictions of sex and friendship. This will impact everything from representation in ad campaigns and shows, to dating apps and where Gen Zers choose to hang out online.

From millennials down to the youngest Gen Alphas, online gaming now plays a huge role in making and maintaining friendships (see Key Stats). The main shift for 2024 will see gamers drawn to new modes for co-operative (co-op) gameplay focused on positive connections and collaboration rather than competition.