# Go to things that move you

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/mind-arts-engagement/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-27
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 88 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#mind-arts-engagement

People who regularly go to concerts, galleries or theatre tend to live longer than people who never do, an association rather than proof.

**The number:** Frequent arts engagement tracked with 31% lower risk of dying ([BMJ, via PMC, 2019](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7190042/))

## The evidence

- Evidence grade: B. Grade B: consistent large cohort studies, with some trial evidence.
- Basis: Prospective cohort of 6710 adults aged 50 and over followed 14 years, plus a WHO scoping review of over 3000 studies
- Outcome: mortality during follow-up, observational association
- Comparison: Frequent receptive arts attendance vs never, adults aged 50 or older
- Impact: 42/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk.

## Why it matters

Art, music and theatre give attention something absorbing and usually put you among other people. Following 6710 adults aged 50 and over for 14 years, those who went to museums, galleries, theatre or concerts every few months or more had a 31% lower risk of dying during follow up, and even once or twice a year tracked with 14% lower risk, after adjusting for income, health and social factors. WHO's review of over 3000 studies found the arts have a role in preventing ill health and in treatment. This is observational, so causality cannot be assumed.

## How to do it

1. Put one thing in the calendar this month: a concert, exhibition, gig, play or local choir.
2. Use free or low cost options: museum free days, library events, community theatre, church concerts.
3. Take somebody with you so it doubles as contact with a person you like.
4. If you enjoy it, go every few months rather than once a year: that is where the larger association sat, though no frequency is proven to extend life.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 5 minutes: Check your library or local cultural venue's events page and save one free or affordable exhibition or performance.
- 15 minutes: Check the chosen event's date, cost and access arrangements; invite someone or put a feasible visit in your calendar.
- 30 minutes: If an exhibition is nearby or you are already there, spend half an hour exploring a few works at your own pace.

### What it looks like

- Use a library events list to find a free exhibition or a lunchtime concert.
- Visit a small local gallery with a friend and spend time with just a few works.

### Common mistakes

- Assuming culture must be expensive can rule it out: check free exhibitions, library events and community performances.
- Treating attendance as a survival prescription overstates the evidence: choose art you enjoy and a pace that fits your life.

### A structured start

**Make one cultural outing possible**

1. This week, find one free or affordable event that interests you.
2. Check travel, access and timing, and arrange company if you want it.
3. After the visit, decide what you enjoyed and choose another occasion that fits your budget and energy.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Dealing with loneliness](https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/lifes-challenges/loneliness/), NHS

## Sources

- [The art of life and death: 14 year follow-up analyses of associations between arts engagement and mortality in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7190042/), BMJ, via PMC, 2019 (Tier 2 study)
- [What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review](https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289054553), WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.

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