UK live music sector attracts 19.2m tourists amid grassroots venue pressures

The total number of music tourists attending UK live music events in 2023 was 19.2 million - an increase of 33 percent on 2022 when the figure was 14.4 million, new research has revealed. 

The latest findings from UK Music reveal that total music tourism spending in 2023 was £8 billion - an increase of 21 percent on 2022's £6.6 billion. 

Although these statistics suggest that the live music industry is in great health, 125 UK music venues were lost during 2024, according to the Music Venue Trust. 

The cost of living crisis combined with a rent hike has made it challenging for grassroots music venues to survive.

Jamie Johnston, BA Live Event and Festival Management (BALEM) Programme Leader, said: "While the statistics show that there is plenty of appetite for events and performances, there are distinct difficulties for the smaller, grassroots music venues and the live music ecosystem.”

It is vital that we work as hard as possible to save the smaller stages, to keep giving opportunities to new music talents to hone their skills and abilities. At ICMP, our BALEM course hopes to address this and we are working towards a more positive future where our alumni will be key figures and professionals in the sector."

Further figures from UK Music showed how music tourism is a growing part of the music industry. London saw a 40 percent rise in music tourists from 4.9 million in 2022, to 6.9 million in 2023 while total employment from music tourism was 62,000 in the same year. 

Tom Kiehl, UK Music Chief Executive, said: "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." 

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ICMP BALEM Programme Leader Lenny Watson is behind Sister Midnight, a co-operative group looking to overhaul the traditional venue model. 

Since 2021, the group, which includes DJ Sophie Farrell and Goat Girl's Lottie Pendlebury alongside Lenny, has been campaigning to create Lewisham's first community-owned music venue, bringing a much-needed cultural hub to the local area.  

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