Key findings from UK Music’s research include:
- Music Tourists: 19.2 million fans attended live music events in the UK in 2023, a 33% rise from 14.4 million in 2022.
- Economic Impact: Music tourism spending reached £8 billion in 2023, marking a 21% increase from £6.6 billion in 2022.
- Employment: The music tourism sector supported 62,000 jobs in 2023, up 17% from 53,000 in 2022.
- International Visitors: There were 1.014 million foreign music tourists in 2023, a slight decline from 1.053 million in 2022.
- Domestic Travelers: 18.2 million domestic music tourists in 2023 represented a 36% increase from 13.3 million in 2022.
The £8 billion music tourism spend is divided into £4.2 billion spent directly by tourists on tickets, on-site expenses, travel, accommodation, and meals, with an additional £3.8 billion spent indirectly through the value chain on expenses like security and restaurant supplies.
The upcoming Taylor Swift Eras Tour is expected to further boost these figures for 2024, reinforcing the UK’s status as a key destination for global tours.
Despite the growth in music tourism, independent festivals and grassroots venues face challenges due to rising costs and shifts in ticket-buying habits. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) reports that 50 UK festivals have been cancelled or postponed for 2024, and the Music Venue Trust (MVT) notes that 125 venues ceased operations or stopped hosting live music in 2023.
Artists are also struggling with the high costs of touring – threatening the core relationship between artists and fans that underpins the live music industry. In September 2023, UK Music released its “Manifesto for Music,” detailing strategies to accelerate industry growth and support emerging talent. In March, our Director of A&R and MMF Vice-Chair, Kwame Kwaten, gave evidence in Parliament as part of the ongoing Grassroots Music Enquiry. Watch Kwame speak first-hand about the financial difficulty that artists and managers face when trying to tour grassroots venues in the UK here. Organisations are urging the new Government to take action based on these recommendations.
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