UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market Analysis
The UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market has shown significant growth, reaching an estimated value of over £3.5 billion in 2024, driven by major stadium tours and festivals, along with rising ticket prices.
Historically, from 2018 to 2024, the market saw consistent growth, with more than 13% rise from 2023 to 2024. However, rising costs have led to a slight decline in attendance, with consumers opting for fewer but more expensive concerts. The market is forecast to continue its upward trajectory, with a projected 27% increase in the foreseeable future, reaching greater than £5 billion, supported by UK Music Tourism Market and premium experiences. Despite strong performance at the top end of the market, grassroots venues face existential challenges, and the industry must adapt to meet consumer demand for more localised, unique live music experiences and address the pressures from rising operational costs.
UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market Trends
Consumer trends in the UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market highlight a shift towards fewer, higher-priced experiences due to rising ticket costs. While overall participation in music concerts and festivals has increased, concertgoers are attending fewer events, with a focus on premium options such as VIP seating, exclusive meet-and-greets, and bundled packages. Younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, remain the core audience, even though they are attending fewer events annually. There is a growing demand for more localised live music experiences, especially in regions outside major cities like London, with consumers showing a preference for smaller, grassroots venues. Additionally, there is increased interest in innovative, non-traditional event spaces, like food festivals or venues in unique locations, as well as a desire for tech-driven solutions, such as digital tools for virtual queuing and AI-assisted ticketing. The Music Tourism Market is also seeing a rise, with more people travelling specifically for live music events, contributing to market growth.
Purchasing the UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market Report 2025 provides insights into younger consumers’ preference for premium, personalised experiences, including VIP access and unique venues. Older generations lean towards traditional, cost-effective options. The report also highlights the growing demand for flexible ticketing, innovative event formats, and sustainability, reshaping the Music Concerts and Festivals Market.
About The Report
This Music Concerts and Festivals Market Report 2025 offers valuable insights into the UK live music market, covering key trends such as consumer preferences for premium experiences, the growing demand for personalised events, and the impact of rising ticket prices. It explores the shift towards more localised and unconventional venues, the role of technology in ticketing, and the increasing focus on sustainability and innovation. The research surveys a broad spectrum of concertgoers, including Gen Z, Millennials, and older generations, across various demographics and regions. This report will benefit industry professionals, event organisers, venue operators, marketers, and brands looking to tap into the evolving UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market and better understand consumer behaviour, market dynamics, and future growth opportunities. Additionally, those interested in the UK Music Tourism Market will gain insights into how tourism and music events are interconnected, boosting growth in both sectors.
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- How the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is reshaping consumer behaviour and influencing demand for live music experiences
- An in-depth analysis of the UK live music market, including revenue forecasts, and a detailed exploration of the long-term trends, including grassroots challenges and ticket price inflation
- Identifying strategic opportunities for brands to connect and deepen their engagement with audiences in the dynamic live music industry
- Exploring consumer attitudes towards live music in the UK, including dynamic pricing and the ticket buying process
- Identifying the premium features that consumers value most and are willing to pay extra for at concerts or festivals
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | July 2025 |
| Data Range | 2018-2030 |
| Measurement Metrics | Revenue in £ |
| Country Focus | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Consumer Data | 2,000 internet users aged 16+, May 2025 |
| Number of Pages | 81 |
| Market Segmentation | Music Concerts, Music Festivals, Live Music Venues, VIP Packages, Premium Seating, Backstage Access, Dynamic Ticketing, Add-on Activities, and Event Loyalty Programs. |
| Leading Companies | Live Nation, Ticketmaster, S.J.M. Concerts, AEG Presents, Kilimanjaro Holdings, Festival Republic, and DHP Family |
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Joe Birch. Joe is a consumer technology analyst with Mintel. He has over a decade’s experience in the market research industry as a research analyst and report writer. He joined Mintel in 2019 after a number of years as a research manager at a boutique consultancy, servicing B2B, Financial services and public sector clients.
Support for grassroots and diversification of the live music experience will help sustain the market’s long-term future.
Joe Birch
Senior Technology and Leisure Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for live music concerts and festivals
- Drive music into new frontiers with a focus on localism, safety and tailored experiences
- Tap in grassroots’ ability to provide priceless, once in a lifetime moments
- Promote venues as multipurpose spaces
- Technology can take the pain out of the ticketing and create fairer distribution
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size and forecast
- Revenue is projected to remain steady over the next two years
- Graph 1: [no title]
- Market predictions for music concerts and festivals
- Ticketing becomes the focus of regulators
- Live music appetite undimmed despite soaring ticket prices
- Graph 2: participation in music concerts and festivals, 2016-25
- Rising costs impact the grassroots ecosystem for artists and venues
- Wave of cancellations in UK festival scene gathers pace in 2025
- What consumers want and why
- Overall concert attendance is up, but consumers are prioritising fewer, more-expensive gigs
- Graph 3: paid attendance at in-person music concerts in the past 12 months, 2022-25
- Small to medium size venues are key ways to experience concerts
- Graph 4: types of music venue visited, last 12 months, 2025
- Overall festival attendance increases, but more can be done to target the drop off of older audiences
- Graph 5: paid attendance at in-person music festivals in the past 12 months, 2023-25
- Use technology to create valuable shortcuts and reduce frustration
- Graph 6: attitudes towards music concerts and festivals, 2025
- Deliver VIP experiences that let consumers feel like insiders
- Graph 7: premium features consumers would be willing to pay more for at nusci festivals and concerts, 2025
- Expand your audience by offering diverse live music formats
- Graph 8: interest in live music concepts, 2025
- Tap into young people’s music and gaming interest
- Innovation and marketing
- Sustainability, localism and diversity shape festival experience
- New initiatives strive to create a safer, more-inclusive experience for solo gig-goers
- Hybrid programmes, novel spaces and technology push live music experience
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Market value climbed in 2024
- Graph 9: estimated total market value of music concerts and festivals, 2018-24
- Mega shows boost market value
- Established festivals make hay while the sun shines
- Market forecast
- Revenues are expected to remain stable in the next two years
- Graph 10: [no title]
- Mega tours account for a huge proportion of revenue and will sustain the market’s value
- Ticket price increases, and music tourism will drive revenues
- UK festival sector is experiencing its most challenging period since the pandemic
- Significant threats at grassroots levels
- For grassroots to mid-size, the next two years is critical but it can pave the way for a bright future
- Key players
- Live Nation dominates live music promotion
- Live Nation exerts significant influence over the UK’s live music landscape
- Regulatory background
- DCMS launches consultation on the resale of live tickets
- CMA launches ticketmaster investigation
- Culture Media and Sport Select Committee aims to protect small venues
- Market drivers
- Despite improvement in consumer finances, consumers are still cautious
- Graph 11: index of financial sentiment in the next year, 2016-25
- Appetite for live music remains strong
- Graph 12: participation in music concerts and festivals, 2016-25
- Demand for major stadium shows from the 90s showcases nostalgia’s bankable appeal…
- …however, ticket price spiking is becoming headline news
- There are signs demand may be peaking, with cost pressures starting to bite
- Grassroots network has suffered considerable losses in the past 10 years
- Cost pressures for touring acts further impacting the small to medium size sector
- Wave of cancellations in UK festival scene gathers pace in 2025
- Music tourism and VIP packages drive live music market
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Music concert participation
- Concert attendance continues to grow
- Graph 13: paid attendance at in-person music concerts in the past 12 months, 2022-25
- Gig-going driven by younger age groups
- Average concert frequency shows a decline
- Graph 14: number of in-person music concerts attended in the past 12 months, 2023-25
- Attending concerts frequently remains a relatively niche activity for most generations
- Graph 15: number of in-person music concerts attended in the past 12 months, by generation 2025
- Music venue visiting
- Small to medium size venues are key ways to experience concerts
- Graph 16: types of music venue visited, last 12 months, 2025
- The heart of musical experience continues to beat strongest in smaller, more intimate venues
- Frequent attendees embrace all venue types with the highest engagement across the board
- Concert going is spread across the ecosystem regardless of how often consumers attend
- Those with financial struggles are most likely priced out of live music
- Smaller venues need to tap into their legend creating capabilities
- Music festival participation
- Festival attendance goes from strength to strength
- Graph 17: paid attendance at in-person music festivals in the past 12 months, 2023-25
- Encourage older women to ‘do it in style’
- Graph 18: paid attendance at in-person music festivals in the past 12 months, by age and gender, 2025
- Encourage older generations to trade up their formative festival experiences
- Threads users most likely have been to a music festival in the past 12 months
- Could ‘Heavy Metal Live Aid’ usher in a new era of hyper scarce festival bills and concerts
- Attitudes towards music festivals and concerts
- Reduce friction points in the ticket buying process
- Graph 19: attitudes towards the ticket buying process for music concerts and festivals, 2025
- Make dynamic pricing more appealing by showing it can work both ways
- Use automation to simplify the ticket buying process
- Increase participation through localism
- Graph 20: attitudes towards attending music concerts and festivals, 2025
- Smaller satellite festivals can be a testing ground for new concepts
- The majority think solo gig going is acceptable, now focus on making it the norm
- Consumers approve of grassroots support
- Graph 21: attitudes towards music concerts and festivals, 2025
- Nourishing the roots: strategies for supporting the ecosystem
- Hologram festivals could help preserve legacy and provide novel live experiences
- Graph 22: attitudes towards technology in music concerts and festivals, 2025
- Premiumisation opportunities for music concerts and festivals
- Unlock experiences to give consumers a slice of the VIP action
- Graph 23: premium features consumers would be willing to pay more for at nusci festivals and concerts, 2025
- Younger women show greater interest in premium concert and festival experiences
- VVIP can further push the wow factor of major shows
- Cheers to that
- Be tasteful in your presentation of VIP options
- Value drivers for live music and festivals
- Tap into diverse programmes to bring more consumers into the live music fold
- Graph 24: features consumers would like to see at music festivals and concerts, by concerts been to in previous 12 months (NET), 2025
- Increase habitual concert going with loyalty discounts at venues
- Younger generations are most open to a diverse range of events
- Novel spaces can provide an antidote to high-end live music experiences
- Promote safe inclusive spaces to appeal to younger women in music settings
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Established festivals go from strength to strength
- Sustainability and localism in festivals
- Resilient festivals continue to appeal to niche musical tastes
- Live music is one point of tightly integrated, multi-platform content strategy for artists
- Major cities get in on the arena action
- New arts festivals blend genres with diverse programmes
- Polygon pushes the boundaries of immersive festival experience
- Initiatives aim to make the solo gig going experience more inclusive and safer
- Music pushes into new and novel spaces
- Food, racing and gaming offer hybrid events to broaden live music’s appeal
- Metal titans convene for Black Sabbath’s final gig
- Blockchain-verified tickets can deter scalpers
- Elvis has entered the building
- Music streaming services will play a greater role in live music curation and integration
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APPENDIX
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research
- Snoop SpendMapper methodology
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