21.07.2025: Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has hailed London as the ‘undisputed capital of music’ following the publication of UK Music’s Hometown Glory music tourism report, which reveals the full extent of the sector’s contribution to the UK economy.
UK Music’s Hometown Glory report revealed that music tourists spent a record £10 billion across the UK in 2024 – a 26% increase on the 2023 total spend of £8 billion. You can read the report here.
As the collective voice of the UK music industry, UK Music published the research to show the value of concerts and festivals to the economy in each of the UK’s nations and regions and outlined in its report the vital importance of helping the music industry continue to grow everywhere.
Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music, said: “London is a global superpower when it comes to the strength and incredibly diversity of our music industry which attracts talent from across the world and draws millions of visitors to the capital. Our latest UK Music figures show that a total of 7.5 million domestic and overseas music tourists came to London in 2024 and spent £2.7 billion enjoying stadium-filling acts like Taylor Swift, festivals like All Points East and British Summer Time and our iconic grassroots venues.
“The Oasis reunion and Beyoncé tour means that London has another spectacular summer lined up for music fans who deliver a tremendous boost for the capital’s economy by spending in the city’s restaurants, bars and shops to make the most of all that London has to offer. It’s vital that we all continue to celebrate and support the ecosystem that makes up the city’s music scene to deliver jobs, growth and unforgettable experiences for millions of people.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This summer, some of the world’s biggest music stars are performing more times in London than anywhere else – showing why we are the undisputed capital of music. Our world-renowned venues are drawing more than 3.6m people to enjoy unforgettable experiences and boost our hospitality industry, from Beyoncé’s exclusive performances at the Tottenham Stadium and Billie Eilish’s six-night run at the O2 to Coldplay’s upcoming dates at Wembley Stadium.
“At the same time, our incredible grassroots venues continue to provide a wide range of performances every night of the week for music fans to enjoy. From the very best stadium and festival headliners to upcoming stars at grassroots venues, I’m proud that London’s music scene is leading the way as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
In 2024, a record 23.5 million music tourists – up 23% on 2023’s total of 19.2 million – enjoyed live music concerts and festivals in the UK. Of the 23.5 million total, 21.9 million were music tourists from the UK – a 21% rise on 2023. A total of 1.6 million visitors last year were overseas music tourists – up 62% on the 2023 total of one million.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour helped drive the 2024 figures to a new high with legions of overseas tourists coming to the UK to see the stars and enjoy concerts and festivals including Glastonbury, Download and Boardmasters.
Charli XCX, who had a breakthrough year with her album BRAT, stepped up to arenas for the first time in 2024. Other iconic acts swelling the number of music tourists included Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Girls Aloud, The Killers, Doja Cat, Foo Fighters, Burna Boy and Bruce Springsteen. This year’s Oasis Live ’25 Tour starting on July 4 will hopefully continue the success story.
Music tourists supported 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the live music sector in 2024 – up 16% on the 2023 total of 62,000. The jobs are a key part of the wider music eco-system that also includes the UK’s world class music studios, record labels, music publishers and other music businesses. [See notes to editors for explanation of figures, and definitions of domestic and international music tourists.]
Music tourism spending is made up of £5.1 billion spent directly by music tourists attending concerts and festivals in the UK, including the cost of a ticket, on-site spend, travel, accommodation, and meals while travelling to events. A further £4.9 billion was spent indirectly through the value chain, including costs such as fencing and security or a restaurant paying for ingredients.
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