Music Tourism Rocks!

Music tourists attending live concerts and festivals in the UK, helped generate £3.1 billion pounds in direct and indirect spend.  

The study by UK Music ‘Wish You Were Here 2015’ found music tourism numbers in the UK increased by 34% between 2011 and 2014, with 9.5 million people travelling to music events in 2014.

Music festivals and concerts have been adding to British happiness and wellbeing for decades. Importantly music tourism has been driving wealth into recovering local economies across the whole of the UK. These past four years have also seen a dramatic 39% rise in overseas tourists travelling to the UK to attend our music events, each with an average spend of £751 going directly to UK businesses.

The report provides detailed evidence of the direct impact that music events and this new influx of fans have within every region of the UK, as well as practical examples of some of the many festivals, venues and companies that are helping to support this booming music tourism industry, including: Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival, T-in The Park in Scotland, Green Man in Wales’ beautiful Brecon Beacons, Koko in London, Sheffield’s iconic Leadmill venue and the Sage in Gateshead.

UK MUSIC TOURISM BY NUMBERS / 2014
  *  £3.1 Billion generated by music tourism in the UK in 2014
  *  9.5 million music tourists attending music events in 2014
  *  546,000 overseas music tourists visiting the UK in 2014
  *  38,238 full time jobs sustained by music tourism in 2014
  *  39% increase in number of overseas music tourists between 2011-2014
  *  £751 average spend by overseas music tourist in the UK

Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale said: “British music is legendary around the world and continues to go from strength to strength, with UK artists now accounting for one in seven albums sold worldwide.” 

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