UK Music has published its Here, There and Everywhere report, revealing the immense contribution made by the UK's live music industry to the economy.
The report outlines the resurgence live music enjoyed in the UK in 2022, when the sector was able to fully operate without the kind of COVID restrictions seen in 2020 and 2021.
Among the key findings of the report is the substantial number of music tourists - defined by UK Music 'as anyone who travelled at least three times the average commute for their region' - who attended live music events across the UK in 2022, which totalled 14.4m people - including 1.1m foreign music tourists.
The Here, There and Everywhere report, which contains a breakdown of music tourism data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the eight English regions, also found that 37.1m people attended live music events in the UK in 2022, with 6.5m attending UK festivals.
Music tourism spending, meanwhile, topped £6.6bn last year, while employment in the sector hit 56,000.
Citing Goldman Sachs' recent estimate that the global music market will grow from $92bn (£70bn) in 2023 to $151.4bn (£115.6bn) by 2030, UK Music say that there is now 'enormous potential for the UK’s world-renowned music market to continue to flourish' - albeit provided that 'the right support from government, local councils and others' is in place to 'spread growth and job across the UK'.
Speaking after the publication of the report, 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 £6.6 billion 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.'
Jamie added: 'Post-pandemic, the role of music in transformative placemaking is more important than ever – and this report provides a valuable toolkit for local authorities to help them seize the benefits of being a “music city”.
'By harnessing the power of music, nations and regions across the UK can generate thousands more jobs, boost economic growth and attract even more visitors to the local area. This report shows how to turn that potential into reality.'
You can read the full Here, There and Everywhere report here.
