- News
Music Tourism Hits £10bn Milestone in 2024
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By Ryan Moss
- 03 Jul 2025
- 4 min read
Music tourists spent a record-breaking £10 billion on live music in the UK in 2024, according to UK Music’s latest Hometown Glory report, a 26% increase on 2023’s £8 billion total.
The boom was driven by 23.5 million music tourists, a 23% rise from the 19.2 million recorded in 2023. Of these, 21.9 million were UK-based, while 1.6 million travelled from overseas to attend concerts and festivals.
This surge supported 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the live music sector – up 16% from the previous year – highlighting the industry’s growing impact on the UK economy.
Charli XCX, who dominated summer 2024 with her acclaimed album brat, made the leap to arena tours, joining the likes of Taylor Swift, Glastonbury, Download, and Boardmasters in helping to fuel the growth of music tourism across the country.
“These numbers show just how powerful the UK is as a home for live music – attracting the biggest acts, drawing in millions of fans, and giving a real boost to local economies,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “It’s one of our greatest exports, and that’s why we’ve launched the £30 million Music Growth Package – to protect grassroots venues and support the next generation of talent.”
Tourists spent £5.1 billion directly on tickets, travel, accommodation, food, and on-site costs, with a further £4.9 billion in indirect spending flowing through the wider supply chain — from fencing and security to local restaurants and suppliers.
Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music, celebrated the findings: “In 2024, our fantastic UK music industry pulled in 23.5 million music tourists who spent £10 billion to see their favourite acts right across the country. This shows the power of music to drive growth, boost local economies, and bring people together.
“With the launch of our Local Music Action Charter, we want to help communities across the UK unlock even more potential – supporting artists, venues, studios and local businesses to thrive in every corner of the country.”
Local authorities echoed the call for continued investment. Councillor Liz Green, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said: “These record-breaking figures show just how important live music is – not just for our local economies, but for the happiness of our communities. Investing in local music isn’t just good sense – it boosts pride in place and brings people together.”
Read the UK Music Hometown Glory Report here.
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