Paper Title
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AUDIENCE PREFERENCES: A CASE STUDY ON FESTIVALS IN THE CLUJ AREA

Abstract
Abstract - Knowledge of the public's preferences is essential for the success of a cultural festival and should be taken into consideration by organizers during the planning and implementation of the event. The research of repertoire preferences from the community perspective, as well as how improving the experienced festival can determine the success of the event, represented the study direction in the statistical interpretation of data obtained through a questionnaire addressed to the festival attendees in the Cluj area of northwestern Romania. In the same time, the present study aimed to compare the musical preferences of the audience participating in four festivals organized in the Cluj area with those mentioned in official documents as characteristic at the national level, based on the opinions of the participating public. For this purpose, data obtained from consulting two sources were analyzed: one through the organization of a local survey that investigated opinions and preferences of the audience regarding artistic events, and the second through consulting the data provided by the National Cultural Consumption Barometer, which periodically provides an overview of cultural consumption practices at the national level among the adult population in Romania. By comparing the opinion of the Cluj public with that of the national population, for four tested musical genres, the study facilitated the identification of determining factors in the musical preferences of the local audience. This information can be used to prioritize festivals in local strategies that will be organized. Keywords - Festival, Comparison, Audience Preferences, National-regional