Features
Live Attracted 19 Million Music Tourists In 2023, UK Music Finds
Trade body UK Music has published findings showing that live music events, concerts and festivals, attracted some 19.2 million music fans, who traveled from within the country as well as overseas to see shows in the UK in 2023.
According to a summary by UK Music, the number of music tourists increased by 33% compared to 2022, when the figure was 14.4 million.
The vast majority of music tourists traveled from within the UK, with 1.014 million coming from abroad. That’s a slight decline compared to the 1.053 million, who came from outside the UK to see music in 2022.
That leaves 18.2 million total domestic tourists, which is an increase of 36% on 2022 when the total was 13.3 million.
UK Music defines domestic music tourists as “those who are traveling from within the UK to see live music events if they travelled more than three times an average commute.”
Other key figures from UK Music’s research: Total music tourism spending in 2023 was £8 billion ($10.3 billion), an increase of 21% on 2022 when the figure was £6.6 billion ($8.5 billion).
That number is made up of £4.2 billion spent directly by music tourists attending concerts and festivals in the UK, including the cost of a ticket, on-site spend, travel, accommodation, and meals while traveling to events.
A further £3.8 billion was spent indirectly through the value chain, including costs such as fencing and security, or a restaurant paying for ingredients.
Music tourism in 2023 employed 62,000 people, which is an increase of 17% on 2022 when the figure was 53,000. Total number of foreign music tourists in 2023 was 1.014 million, which is a slight drop from 1.053 million in 2022.
The changes are most notable in the UK’s most important music market, London, which saw a 40% rise in music tourists from 4.9 million in 2022, to 6.9 million in 2023.
This growth is not limited to the capital, however, with an 86% increase in music tourists to the South West, rising from 1 million in 2022, to 2 million in 2023; or a 29% increase of music tourists in the North East, from 352,000 in 2022 to 489,000 in 2023.
UK Music looked at concerts by Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Harry Styles, and Blur, as well as festivals like Glastonbury, Boomtown, and TRNSMT to gather data. All figures were analyzed by Oxford Economics.
Beyoncé alone sold out the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium five times, May 29–June 4, selling 240,330 tickets at a $38,986,169 gross in the process. She also sold out Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, May 23 (44,790 tickets, $6,217,446 gross); Murrayfield Stadium in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, May 20 (55,834, $7,872,596); and Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital Cardiff, May 17 (52,756, $6,967,662).
The Weeknd sold 89,179 tickets for his Aug. 18 show at Wembley Stadium, according to the Pollstar Boxoffice, grossing $9,250,620, and setting a new attendance record for concerts with an end-stage configuration at the iconic stadium. He also set a record at London Stadium, according to promoter Live Nation, when he sold some 160,000 tickets across two nights at London Stadium. The exact figures for his July 7 & 8 performances from the Pollstar Boxoffice show 159,574 tickets sold at a $17,117,476 gross.
Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras Tour” dates are likely to further boost the 2024 figures.
Despite the overall growth in music tourism, independent festivals and grassroots music venues are still struggling with rising costs, and changes in ticket-buying habits, UK Music emphasizes in its report, citing figures by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), which reported that 50 UK festivals have either completely closed or postponed for 2024; as well as by the Music Venue Trust (MVT), which reported that 125 venues in 2023 either shut down or stopped live music.
“Artists are also facing a cost-of-touring crisis, which is concerning, as the artist-fan relationship is the base of the whole live music industry,” the report states.
In September 2023, UK Music published its Manifesto for Music, which outlined measures that could be taken to supercharge music industry growth and support the talent pipeline and is now calling on the new Government to take action.
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Comments:
UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl: “In 2023, music pulled more than 19 million tourists into local areas and supported £8 billion of spending in local economies across the UK. This demonstrates the positive impact music tourism has on our towns and cities.
“But while music generates huge benefits for our local areas, beyond a handful of very successful musicians the opportunities for many artists are becoming increasingly squeezed. Grassroots music venues and festivals, studios and rehearsal spaces are facing tough economic pressures and it’s vital that the music ecosystem that enables musicians and artists to perform is supported to ensure that everyone – no matter where they live – can have access to music.
“We’re looking forward to working with the new Government to ensure that all our towns and cities have thriving music ecosystems that support the growth of the industry – generating thousands more jobs, boosting economic growth and making their areas even more attractive to visitors.”
UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy, part of Britain’s newly formed Labour government: “The UK’s thriving music industry continues to be one of our most powerful global exports and an important driver of economic growth. In towns and cities across the country, the music industry provides entertainment, employment and inspiration to millions.
“This Government will work hard to ensure our creative industries get the support they need to flourish, driving opportunity and economic growth into every community and inspiring the next generation of performers.”