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UK Music has today (Tuesday) unveiled its ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ report, which details the contribution of music tourism to the UK economy.
Following a snippet that was revealed last week, which demonstrated the impact of live music on the North West region of England, UK Music’s report showcases the impact of different regions across the whole of the UK including specific breakdowns for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland as well as other English regions.
Across 2022, a total of 14.4 million music tourists attended live music events, with domestic music tourists amounting to 13.3 million and foreign music tourists amounted to 1.1 million.
Music tourists were lured in by the likes of artists such as Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Elton John. Major music events such as Glastonbury were headlined by iconic musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, enticing further tourists.
A total of 37.1 million attended UK festivals and concerts in the UK in 2022, and of that figure, 6.5 million music fans attended festivals meaning a total of 30.6 million people attended concerts.
Total music tourism spending amounted to £6.6bn (€7.7bn/$8.6bn) in 2022, while total employment sustained by music tourism in 2022 was 56,000, according to UK Music.
Following the release of the report, UK Music has highlighted to local authorities and councils how they can use music to boost local economies and support jobs. A toolkit has been designed to showcase how local authorities can utilise existing funding and spaces to help music thrive across the UK.
The toolkit includes four recommendations for local councils on how to build their own music communities, including the use of data to ensure music is at the heart of planning and licensing policy; create a register of available spaces and places to support music activities; enshrine music and the local community in regeneration and development and set-up or support city-wide music advisory boards.
UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said: “Music is one of our country’s great assets – not only is it absolutely critical to the economic success of our local areas, but it also generates huge amounts of soft power and helps put our towns and cities on the global map.
“In 2022, music pulled more than 14 million tourists into local areas and supported £6.6bn of spending in local economies across the UK. This is testament to just how important a thriving musical ecosystem is for our towns and cities. But while music generates huge benefits for our local areas, the infrastructure and talent pipeline that it relies on still faces huge challenges. With a venue closing every week, one in six festivals not returning since the pandemic, and many studios facing huge economic pressures, it’s vital that we protect the musical infrastructure that does so much for our towns and cities.”
Minister for Tourism and Creative Industries John Whittingdale added: “The UK’s stellar line-up of festivals, concerts and grassroots gigs is a magnet for music fans around the world seeking unforgettable experiences.
“UK Music’s report demonstrates that live music has come back post-Covid even stronger and shows the power of music to bring people together, support thousands of jobs and drive economic growth.”
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