UK Music has unveiled new analysis into the worth of gigs, live shows and festivals to native economies.
A complete of 19.2 million music followers travelled from throughout the UK and abroad in 2023 to see UK exhibits. The road-up of stars performing enormous gigs final 12 months included Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Harry Types and Blur, alongside festivals like Glastonbury, Boomtown and TRNSMT.
UK Music analysis reveals:
• Whole variety of music vacationers attending dwell music occasions throughout the UK in 2023 was 19.2 million – a rise of 33% on 2022 when the determine was 14.4 million.
• Whole music tourism spending in 2023 was £8 billion – a rise of 21% on 2022 when the determine was £6.6 billion.
• Whole employment sustained by music tourism in 2023 was 62,000, which is a rise of 17% on 2022 when the determine was 53,000.
• Whole variety of international music vacationers in 2023 was 1.014 million, which is a slight drop from 1.053 million in 2022.
• Whole variety of home music vacationers in 2023 was 18.2 million, which is a rise of 36% on 2022
A international music vacationer is somebody who has travelled from outdoors of the UK to attend an occasion within the UK. A home music vacationer is outlined as those that are travelling from throughout the UK to see dwell music occasions, offered they travelled greater than thrice a mean commute for that area.
Music tourism is a rising a part of the music business. London noticed a 40% rise in music vacationers from 4.9m in 2022, to six.9m in 2023.
There was additionally an 86% enhance in music vacationers to the South West, rising from a million in 2022, to nearly two million in 2023. There was a 29% enhance of music vacationers within the North East, from 352,000 in 2022 to 489,000 in 2023.
The high-profile Taylor Swift Eras Tour is probably going to provide an additional important enhance to figures for 2024, making the UK one of many world touring centres.
Whereas home music tourism is prospering, international music tourism has dipped barely in 2023. This determine is vulnerable to fluctuations as highlighted in earlier years.
Music tourism spending is made up of £4.2 billion spent immediately by music vacationers attending live shows and festivals within the UK, together with the price of a ticket, on-site spend, journey, lodging, and meals whereas travelling to occasions. An extra £3.8 billion was spent not directly by means of the worth chain, together with prices comparable to fencing and safety or a restaurant paying for elements.
Whereas music generates enormous advantages for our native areas, the alternatives for a lot of artists have gotten more and more squeezed
Tom Kiehl
Nevertheless, regardless of the expansion in music tourism, impartial festivals and grassroots music venues are nonetheless scuffling with rising prices and adjustments in ticket-buying habits – Music Week reported on the struggling impartial competition sector this week.
The Affiliation of Impartial Festivals (AIF) reviews that greater than 50 UK festivals have utterly closed or been postponed or cancelled for 2024. In the meantime, the Music Venue Belief (MVT) reviews that 125 venues in 2023 both shut or stopped dwell music.
Artists are additionally dealing with a cost-of-touring disaster, because of inflationary pressures and provide chain points.
In September 2023, UK Music printed its Manifesto for Music and is now calling on the brand new authorities to take motion.
Tradition Secretary Lisa Nandy stated: “The UK’s thriving music business continues to be one in every of our strongest world exports and an necessary driver of financial progress. In cities and cities throughout the nation, the music business gives leisure, employment and inspiration to hundreds of thousands.
“This authorities will work exhausting to make sure our artistic industries get the help they should flourish, driving alternative and financial progress into each neighborhood and galvanizing the subsequent technology of performers.”
UK Music chief govt Tom Kiehl stated: “In 2023, music pulled greater than 19 million vacationers into native areas and supported £8 billion of spending in native economies throughout the UK. This demonstrates the optimistic impression music tourism has on our cities and cities. However whereas music generates enormous advantages for our native areas, past a handful of very profitable musicians the alternatives for a lot of artists have gotten more and more squeezed.
“Grassroots music venues and festivals, studios and rehearsal areas are dealing with robust financial pressures and it’s very important that the music ecosystem that permits musicians and artists to carry out is supported to make sure that everybody – regardless of the place they dwell – can have entry to music.”
“We’re wanting ahead to working with the brand new authorities to make sure that all our cities and cities have thriving music ecosystems that help the expansion of the – producing 1000’s extra jobs, boosting financial progress and making their areas much more engaging to guests.”
Final 12 months UK Music’ launched the Right here, There and All over the place report that featured a toolkit for native governments to assist maximise the alternatives music can deliver to their economies.
PHOTO: Blur acting at The Halls, Wolverhampton in 2023 (credit score Tom Pallant)
For extra tales like this, and to maintain updated with all our market main information, options and evaluation, signal as much as obtain our every day Morning Briefing publication
