- Published on
UK Music Tourism Hits Record £11 Billion — But Grassroots Venues Keep Closing
- Authors
- Name
- Electronic Music Hub
- @electrohubhq
A new report from UK Music puts the country's music tourism industry at a record £11 billion, driven by 24.7 million music tourists travelling to gigs and festivals outside their home towns.
The figure covers everything those visitors spend — accommodation, food, drink, transport and tickets — and is powered by the top of the market: Glastonbury, Parklife and Creamfields, plus touring years from Oasis, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa.
The number that isn't in the headline
The report is being read as good news, and at the top it is. But £11 billion is a lagging indicator, and it says nothing about the layer underneath. Grassroots venues continue to close under rising costs — the same venues where every act headlining those record-breaking festivals learned to play.
That is the tension the report actually exposes: a live sector whose economics are healthier than ever at the top and more fragile than ever at the bottom.
What's being asked for
UK Music and the Music Venue Trust are pushing for government support, including VAT relief discussions with the Treasury. The £11 billion figure gives them leverage — it puts live music firmly on the government's radar as an economic driver rather than a cultural nice-to-have.
Read more: UK live music tourism industry hits record £11 billion, report reveals
Photo via Creamfields