This Year’s Search Trends Are a Love Letter to the Arts
Google shared its latest search trends for early 2026, and they paint a pretty clear picture of what people want this year.
The TL;DR?
People are looking for nostalgia, ways to go analog, and permission to find a little more whimsy.
The good news? These are exactly what our arts organizations are selling!
SEARCH TRENDS: JANUARY
AN OPTIMISTIC WAY TO LOOK AHEAD
Consumers are searching (literally and figuratively) for what we have to offer. What a way to start the year for our industry.
We aren’t selling tech or clutter, like so many brands and industries are right now. We are selling analog experiences that foster community. We are selling experiences that can evoke nostalgia. We are selling moments that offer the opportunity for whimsy — should someone decide to let that feeling flow through them in our spaces.
This is an incredible moment and a huge opportunity for our sector. And because we know how fickle and fast these overarching themes can be, it’s an opportunity we need to grab before it’s gone.
But What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
I can’t stop thinking about a quote by Marshall Goldsmith:
- What got you here won’t get you there.
Once upon a time, simply putting out ads with show titles, dates and times was enough to pull in the masses. But these days what people are searching for has changed, and our content, positioning and messages need to change with it.
People aren’t all, in droves, searching for “a night at the theatre” or “a symphony concert.” There is simply too much competition for time and attention now. Instead, they search for “ways to go analog,” and the arts aren’t yet appearing as a clear, direct possible answer.
In short? Sharing tons of messages that only speak to what we have on stage or in an exhibit won’t automatically connect to what people need, right now.
So…What Do We Do?
We help organizations speak to these trends directly.
We light the path so that searchers can make the connection between what they are looking for and what arts orgs offer.
That means starting your messages and your content with your audience’s POV — and then showing how the arts deliver it.
A More Analog Life Might Mean…
- Buying a film camera — and it might mean going to a film festival with friends.
- Picking up needlepoint — and it might mean taking a painting class.
A Year of Whimsy Might Mean…
- Planning less and being more playful — and it might mean a spontaneous trip to a museum.
- Being more present with your friends — and it might mean visiting a state park and letting the whimsy drive your path while you’re there.
Positioning the Arts as the Answer
This is where these trends stop being simply interesting and start being useful.
Nostalgia, analog life, and whimsy aren’t just vibes. They’re questions people are actively asking:
- How do I spend more meaningful time?
- How do I feel more present?
- How do I make room for joy, play, and connection?
Arts and cultural organizations don’t need to invent new answers to those questions.
We are the answer.
What This Looks Like in Practice
This is a powerful opportunity to rethink how we position our organizations — especially in the content that is meant to persuade, not just inform.
That means thinking differently about:
- Ad copy and creative
- Campaign visuals and video
- Storyboards for shows and exhibits
- Brand campaigns and season announcements
Instead of leading only with what’s on stage or on the wall, we can lead with what it feels like to be there.
- Subscribe for a year of whimsy with the symphony.
Schedule a season of analog experiences at the museum.
Invest in magical moments together at the theatre.
This framing can live everywhere:
- Emails that invite people to invest in how they want to feel this year
- Brochures that sell presence, not just programming
- Subscription campaigns that promise events worth putting on the calendar now
This is the perfect moment to adopt a message of benefits over features. Sell not just what audiences will see — but what they will feel and how the experience will benefit them long-term.
The Data Backs This Up
We also know this isn’t just poetic framing. It’s grounded in audience behavior. When IMPACTS Experience researched the primary purpose of a visit to a cultural organization, they found that across both performing arts and exhibit-based organizations, one motivation consistently rises to the top:
There are many reasons audiences engage — curiosity, learning, escape — but overwhelmingly, the desire to spend meaningful time with loved ones is paramount.
That makes our necessary message at this moment even clearer.
The arts aren’t just where people find analog, nostalgic, whimsical experiences. They’re where people share them.
The Real Opportunity
Search trends show us what people are craving. Audience data shows us why they show up.
Together, they give us a roadmap.
Over the coming months, we have an opportunity to:
- Position our organizations as answers to cultural longing
- Craft messaging that sells feeling, not just facts
- Invite audiences to invest in moments they can share
The work isn’t to shout louder about what’s on stage.
It’s to paint a clearer picture of what life feels like when the arts are part of it.
