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UK Music Tourism Reaches Record High
July13
The UK attracted a record 24.7 million music tourists in 2025, with spending at concerts and festivals reaching an all-time high of £11.2 billion, according to new figures published by UK Music.
The UK attracted a record 24.7 million music tourists in 2025, with spending at concerts and festivals reaching an all-time high of £11.2 billion, according to new figures published by UK Music.
The report shows that the number of music tourists increased by 4.8% compared with 2024, while total spending rose by 11.3% from £10 billion to £11.2 billion.
Major tours and festivals were key drivers of growth during the year. Stadium shows by Oasis, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Sam Fender, Chris Brown, Blackpink and Stray Kids, alongside festivals including Glastonbury, Download, Reading, Boomtown and Wireless, helped attract audiences from both the UK and overseas.
Domestic music tourists accounted for 22.6 million visitors, up 3.2% year-on-year, while overseas music tourists increased by 26.8% to 2.1 million visitors, compared with 1.6 million in 2024. UK Music said the growth in international visitors was supported by several high-profile stadium tours, including European-exclusive dates from artists such as Coldplay, Lana Del Rey and Oasis.
According to the report, music tourism supported approximately 74,000 full-time equivalent jobs across the UK live music sector in 2025, a 3% increase on the previous year. The figures include both direct spending by concert and festival attendees—covering tickets, travel, accommodation, food and on-site purchases—and indirect spending throughout the supply chain.
Regional economies also benefited from increased visitor spending. The North West recorded a 15.6% rise in music tourism spending to £1.4 billion, supported by Oasis` sold-out performances at Manchester`s Heaton Park. London saw spending increase by 27.4% to £3.4 billion, while events such as Glastonbury and Ed Sheeran`s concerts in Ipswich also contributed to regional tourism outside the capital.
The report also highlighted broader economic benefits from industry events. The 2025 Mercury Prize was held in Newcastle for the first time, alongside a week-long programme of events that attracted around 8,000 visitors and contributed an estimated £1.4 million to the regional economy. The city also hosted the MOBO Awards during the year.
Despite the record figures, UK Music said the live sector continues to face significant challenges, including rising touring costs, financial pressures on grassroots venues, post-Brexit barriers affecting UK-EU touring, and ongoing cost-of-living pressures on audiences.
The organisation also noted that, according to the Association of Independent Festivals, 43 UK festivals were cancelled, postponed or closed permanently during 2025, following 78 festivals that did not go ahead in 2024.
Commenting on the figures, UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl (pictured) said the results demonstrate the economic value of the UK`s live music sector while calling for continued government support for grassroots venues, action against ticket touting and measures to reduce barriers for UK artists touring in Europe.
Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray said the figures underline the UK`s position as a global leader in live music and reiterated the government`s commitment to supporting the wider music ecosystem, including grassroots venues, touring opportunities and measures to protect consumers from ticket resale abuse.
UK Music represents the collective interests of the UK`s commercial music industry, bringing together organisations from across the live, recorded, publishing and music creator sectors. The organisation publishes its annual Music By Numbers report to measure the economic impact of music tourism across the UK.
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