music tourism
Sellout events like Glastonbury Festival and mega-grossing stadium shows by BeyoncĂŠ, Harry Styles and Blur helped lift the U.K. live music industry to record heights last year, generating 8 billion pounds ($10.3 billion) for the countryâs economy, according to new figures published Tuesday (July 23).
Umbrella trade organization UK Music reports that 19.2 million âmusic touristsâ attended live concerts and festivals in the United Kingdom in 2023, up 33% on the previous year. The trade body defines a âmusic touristâ as someone who has traveled at least three times the average commuting distance for their region or is based overseas.
The £8 billion financial windfall these music tourists contributed to the local economy through direct spending on things like gig tickets, travel, accommodation and food and beverage sales, as well as indirect spending on supply chain businesses such as security and fencing, represents an increase of 21% on 2022âs 6.6 billion pound total.
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The 2023 figure is the highest ever recorded by UK Music since the organization started analyzing music tourism spending a decade ago. Thatâs despite the number of foreign concertgoers falling fractionally to just over 1 million last year, down from 1.053 million in 2022. However, the total number of domestic music tourists grew 36% year-on-year to 18.2 million, said UK Music, while 62,000 jobs were sustained by live gigs.Â
On a regional basis, London was the United Kingdomâs most popular destination for attending music concerts, drawing 6.9 million music tourists â up 40% year-on-year â who contributed ÂŁ2.8 billion ($3.6 billion) in spending. The North West of England, a region which includes the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, was the second most popular destination for traveling music fans, with 2.3 million people visiting for live shows and spending ÂŁ735 million ($950 million).Â
UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl said in a statement that the record numbers âdemonstrates the positive impact music tourism has on our towns and citiesâ but warned that âbeyond a handful of very successful musicians the opportunities for many artists are becoming increasingly squeezed.â
âGrassroots music venues and festivals, studios and rehearsal spaces are facing tough economic pressures and itâs vital that the music ecosystem that enables musicians and artists to perform is supported to ensure that everyone â no matter where they live â can have access to music,â added Kiehl.
So far this year, around 50 U.K. music festivals have either been canceled or folded entirely due to rising production costs and changes in music fansâ ticket-buying habits, according to The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). The countryâs grassroots music venues circuit is also having a difficult time, with the Music Venue Trust (MVT) reporting that 125 venues have either shut down or stopped putting on live music in 2023.Â
For emerging and mid-tier U.K. artists, the increased costs of fuel and post-Brexit requirements for touring carnets and work permits have brought further financial burdens. As a result, UK Music is calling on the newly installed Labour Government to urgently address what it is calling a âcost-of-touring crisis.â
The United Kingdom is the worldâs second-largest music exporter and the worldâs third-biggest recorded music market behind the United States and Japan. But without action, it risks being overtaken by countries who are more proactive, warns the trade body, which published a 10-point âManifesto for Musicâ last year.Â
âThe U.Kâs thriving music industry continues to be one of our most powerful global exports and an important driver of economic growth,â said culture secretary Lisa Nandy in a statement accompanying Tuesdayâs music tourism figures.Â
She said the government will âwork 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.â

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) have introduced a bill to help support music tourism throughout the country. Dubbed the American Music Tourism Act of 2024, the newly introduced legislation would be an amendment to the Visit America Act that passed in 2022 and required the assistant secretary of commerce for travel and tourism to lead a coordinated national effort to rejuvenate international tourism following declines from the pandemic. Â
The American Music Tourism Act of 2024 requires the assistant secretary to identify locations and events in the United States that are important to music tourism and promote domestic travel and tourism to those sites and events.
âTennesseans know a thing or two about the positive impact that music tourism has on the economy and culture,â Sen. Blackburn said in a statement. âThe Volunteer State is proud to be home to so many iconic musical landmarks for tourists to enjoy â from Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol. This bipartisan legislation promotes music tourismâs fast-growing industry and ensures fans from all over the world can celebrate the rich history of music for generations to come.â
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The act classifies music tourism as the act of traveling to a state or locality to visit historic or modern-day music related attractions including museums, studios, venues of all sizes and other sites related to music. The definition also includes traveling somewhere in the U.S. to attend a music festival, concert or other live music performance. If passed, the act would strengthen the economic benefits of music festivals like Tennesseeâs Bonarroo or Californiaâs Stagecoach, as well as music venues from Madison Square Garden in New York City to Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
âMusic venues are keepers of our culture. From Red Rocks to the Grand Ole Opry, and hundreds of small venues across our country, millions visit Colorado and all our states to hear world class musicians and connect with each other,â said Sen. Hickenlooper in a statement. âOur bipartisan American Music Tourism Act will support these venues by helping our music tourism industry grow and expand.â
The bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the Recording Academy, the Nashville Songwriterâs Association International, the Recording Industry Association of America, Live Nation Entertainment, the National Independent Venues Association, Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, Tennessee Entertainment Commission, Memphis Tourism, Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism and the Overton Park Shell in Memphis.
âThe Recording Academy is pleased to support the American Music Tourism Act and applauds Senators Blackburn and Hickenlooper for their continued dedication to lifting up the music community,â said Recording Academy chief advocacy and public policy officer Todd Dupler in a statement. âMusic has long played an important role in our economy and culture. This bill will amplify the music communityâs contributions to economic growth and increase understanding of musicâs impact on the U.S. and the world.â
Live Nationâs president of Nashville music and business strategy Sally Williams also voiced her approval of the act, stating, âIn Nashville, Memphis, and countless other communities across the country, a vibrant live music scene is an economic magnet that draws fans from around the globe. The American Music Tourism Act is an important piece of legislation that will help ensure live music remains a pillar of American culture and tourism, and weâd like to thank the Senator for her leadership on this issue.â
The American Music Tourism Act would leverage this existing framework within the Department of Commerce to highlight and promote music tourism in the United States with the act requiring the assistant secretary to submit their findings, achievements and activities to the congressional and senate committees within one year of its passage and every year thereafter.
âFrom rural communities to city centers, independent stages attract investment and visitors for the artists and professionals that put on shows and the restaurants, retail, and attractions around them,â said National Independent Venue Association executive director Stephen Parker in an endorsement. âThe American Music Tourism Act finally recognizes music tourism as a catalyst for economic development and ensures its growth is a national priority. We applaud Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Hickenlooper for aligning the nationâs tourism strategy with the venues and festivals across our country that the world travels to experience.â
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