The UK economy might still be struggling to escape the post-Brexit doldrums but it’s been revealed that music tourism’s contribution came to an impressive £10 billion last year.
That is the finding of Hometown Glory, a new report that industry body UK Music are publishing tomorrow (1 July). It shows 23 million ‘music tourists’ attended gigs in the UK last year and their £10 billion spending was an increase – up from £8 billion in 2023.
Much of that figure can be put at the door of hugely successful tours by Charli XCX, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Fender, Dua Lipa and - of course – Taylor Swift, whose Eras tour broke all sorts of records last year.
Of those music tourists, 21.9 million were from within the UK. But 1.6 million came from overseas, a figure that was up by 62% on 2023’s total.
And that figure wasn’t just good news from artists, promoters and Live Nation. The report estimates that music tourism supported 72,000 full time equivalent jobs in the live music sector, again an increase - up from 62,000 the previous year.
Breaking down that £10 billion figure further, it showed that while £5.1 billion of that was the basic cost of the ticket, on-site spending, travel, accommodation and meals whilst travelling to gigs, £4.9 billion was ‘secondary’ trickle down money – in other words costs such as gig security or restaurants buying extra ingredients.
Hometown Glory also includes some polling that should be required reading for local and national policy makers alike. It shows that 50% of all adults said that they’d be ‘more likely to go to music events if public transport matched event times better’ and nearly 7 in 10 adults (69%) agreed with the statement: 'If new homes are built near a music venue, it should be the responsibility of the builder to make sure noise isn't a problem, not the venue's job to change or close’.
In a statement, UK Music’s Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: “While music generates huge benefits for our local areas, there remain a number of challenges facing our sector such as the rising cost of touring for artists and the threat of closure looming over venues, studios and other music spaces.”
“At a time when Government is seeking growth, it is crucial to empower local leaders to make this happen to help boost our artists, creators, venues, studios and music businesses. The Local Music Action Charter, launched in this report, will embolden local actors, particularly in the face of change and disruption, to support sustained growth, and enable those that form part of our local music industries to truly fulfil their potential.”
Liz Green, the Chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport board welcomed the figures, saying: “They show just how important live music is — not just for our local economies, but for the happiness of our communities. Councils up and down the country are proud to back the artists, venues and festivals that bring people together and put our towns and cities on the map.
“UK Music’s Hometown Glory report is a timely reminder that investing in local music isn’t just good sense - it’s a way to boost pride in place and breathe new life into our high streets. We’re committed to working with local partners to make sure music continues to thrive in every corner of the UK.”
