Overview

• Consumer outlay reached £6.68bn in 2024, up 9.5% year on year, based on analysis of roughly 55,000 gigs, concerts and festivals.
• Concerts accounted for 75.3% of spending as stadium and arena shows drew fans toward single-night events over multi-day festivals.
• Taylor Swift’s Eras tour was cited as a major driver, with industry estimates suggesting up to £1bn in UK economic impact, alongside strong tours by Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and Sam Fender.
• The workforce grew to more than 234,000 people in 2024, though 78.8% were casual or freelance and 48% reported jobs cancelled with less than a week’s notice.
• Sector leaders flagged a grassroots crisis with one in four late-night venues closed since 2020 and 78 festivals ending in 2024, and they are advancing a voluntary £1 ticket levy via the Live Trust while calling for government tax relief.