Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK Concerts and Music Festival Market Report 2024. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest market research, trends, and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the music concerts and festivals market, including music festival market size, market share and forecasted growth to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Key Topics Discussed in the Full Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the post-pandemic recovery on concerts and music festivals market.
- Consumer experience of music concerts and festivals and behaviours over the last 12 months.
- Key demographics of music concert and festival attendance.
- Important factors for consumers attending festivals.
- Emerging opportunities and threats in the market.
Outlook for the Concert and Music Festival Market
Buoyed by a strong post-pandemic revival, attendance and spending on music concerts and festivals have risen sharply over the past two years, in spite of the cost of living crisis.
Underneath the surface level of growth, however, the music festival market is seeing contradictory behaviour patterns. Demand for higher-priced, large-scale events and VIP ticketing has soared, alongside a more vulnerable grassroots and independent music sector. This growing ‘two tier’ split poses a threat to the long-term sustainability of the sector.
Opportunities and for the Concert and Music Festival Market
Never too old to rock and roll
Over-55s account for a fifth of all concert-goer. The affluent and expanding older population represents an opportunity for live music – helped by the continuing rise in ‘heritage’ acts with Boomer appeal.
- Music festival market statistic: 20% of concert goers were aged 55 and over.
Overseas music fans
With many major artists launching international tours, European or US city breaks centred around a live performance can offer big opportunities for travel brands partnering with promoters and venues. ‘Guaranteed warm and dry festivals’ are also likely to be attractive to those scarred by memories of a soggy British summer.
- Music festival market opportunity: 41% of those who attended live music events in the UK in the past 12 months also took a trip abroad to attend a music concert or festival.
Purchase our UK Music Concerts and Festivals Market Report to receive a five-year forecast, consumer behaviour analysis, and recommendations for market opportunities. Readers of this report may also be interested in our UK Competitive Socialising Market Report, or our range of Leisure Time Market Research.
Meet the Expert
John has worked for Mintel since 2005, researching and writing reports on UK travel and leisure markets. Previously he worked for Deloitte as the research manager of their tourism, hospitality and leisure practice. He has a first-class BA in History and a postgraduate Library/Information Management qualification.
Gen Zers and Millennials are prioritising spend on ‘must-see’ major events, while affluent older music fans offer growing opportunities.
John Worthington
Senior Analyst
Collapse All
-
Executive Summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- Opportunities for the music concerts and festivals market
- Never too old to rock and roll
- Event discovery platforms can open up new revenue streams
- Music fans are heading on tour
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Market size and forecast
- Key market drivers
- What consumers want and why
- Live music attendance has returned to pre-pandemic levels
- Livestream/In Real Life are growing in tandem
- Graph 1: experience of livestreamed music events in the past 12 months, 2022-24
- Mixed behaviour patterns
- The multi-generational festival
- Graph 2: further selected behaviours at music concerts and festivals in the last 12 months, 2024
- Hygiene, day-only preference and F&B are the leading festival factors
- Hygiene, day-only preference and F&B are the leading festival factors
- Graph 3: important factors when attending a music festival, 2024
- Big screen and VR concerts are popular with up to 30% of event-goers
- Graph 4: interest in alternative live concert formats, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- Avatar gigs
- Social platforms are moving into the live music space
- Dice launches Extras feature
-
Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Market value reached an estimated £3.3 billion in 2023 in the first full post-pandemic year for live music events
- Graph 5: estimated total market value of music concerts and festivals, 2018-23
- Soaring demand for large-scale events and rising ticket prices helped to grow market size
- But the grassroots sector continued to struggle…
- …while pressure on independent festivals intensified
- Market forecast
- Market value is forecast to grow 5% in 2024 and to rise a further 23% by 2029
- An improving economy should boost attendance levels and secondary spend
- Must-see events, the experience economy and premium-spending superfans will grow the market
- But new arenas and grassroots pressure could lead to an increasingly two-tier market
- Key players
- Live Nation dominates live music promotion
- Other leading operators include SJM, AEG and DEAG
- Macro-economic factors
- UK economy has emerged from recession, but growth is likely to be slow
- Graph 6: GDP, 2021-24
- Rising real wages and rate cuts should gradually begin to loosen purse strings over the next 12 months
- Graph 7: CPI inflation versus weekly total earnings growth, 2021-24
- Consumer confidence continues to trend upwards
- Graph 8: financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Post-pandemic ‘revenge spend’ has helped to cushion the live events market, but frequent attendees have reduced events
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- New UK arena venues coming on-stream
- Change of government could lead to tighter regulation of resale market
- Festival sponsorship could come under scrutiny after Barclays pull-out
-
What Consumers Want and Why
- Music concert participation
- Concert attendance is up five percentage points over the last 12 months
- Graph 9: paid attendance at in-person music concerts in the past 12 months, 2022-24
- Average concert frequency has also risen overall
- Graph 10: number of in-person music concerts attended in the past 12 months, 2023-24
- But concert attendance remains an occasional activity for most
- Graph 11: music concert-goers profile by frequency, 2024
- Over-55s account for a fifth of concert-goers
- Londoners and Scots are the likeliest to have attended concerts
- Music festival participation
- Festival participation is up seven percentage points over the last 12 months
- Graph 12: paid attendance at in-person music festivals in the past 12 months, 2023-24
- Almost a third of festival-goers went to three or more events
- Graph 13: number of in-person music festivals attended in the past 12 months, 2023-24
- Graph 14: music festival-goers* profile by frequency, 2024
- Converting more female and older live music fans to festivals is a challenge and an opportunity
- Over half of Londoners have been to a music festival
- Trends in live music event attendance
- Live music attendance has resumed its pre-pandemic upward curve
- Graph 15: attendance at a music concert or festival in the past month, 2016-24
- Livestreamed events
- Livestreaming has seen a significant rise in the last 12 months
- Graph 16: experience of livestreamed music events in the past 12 months, 2022-24
- Livestreamers are also likely to be frequent IRL event-goers
- Music concerts and festivals – behaviours
- Multiple event-goers are likely to have cut back and prioritised more
- Graph 17: impact of rising ticket prices on music event attendance, 2024
- Re-sale sites are pushing up ticket spend
- Ticket inflation and tighter budgets have led to attendees looking for flexible payment schemes…
- …but add-ons and premium spend are popular despite the cost-of-living squeeze
- Graph 18: spending on merchandise products and premium experiences at music concerts/festivals in the past 12 months, 2024
- Music fans on high alert for fear of missing out
- Graph 19: use of alert services for music events in the past 12 months, 2024
- Multiple event-goers are taking out event insurance
- Rising demand for overseas event-based tourism
- Scope for more European city breaks centred around music
- Festival families
- Parents look to introduce their kids to musical culture
- Music festivals – important factors
- Hygiene arrangements and day festivals are key attractions
- Graph 20: important factors when attending music festivals, 2024
- Greener festivals, healthy eating and glamping are important for younger groups
- Graph 21: ‘top three’ most important factors when attending a music festival, by age group, 2024
- Day-only festivals can attract more female music fans
- Music concerts and festivals – opportunities
- Big-screen viewings, avatar concerts and exclusivity are key areas of opportunity
- Consumers are interested in various entertainment formats
- Graph 22: interest in alternative music event formats and exclusive content, 2024
- Live event cinema has cross-generational appeal
- Superfans are looking for exclusive, premium content and experiences
- Graph 23: interest in exclusive content and VR/avatar concerts, by age group, 2024
-
Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- Money, Money, Money
- The King of Rock n’ Roll returns
- Forever young
- Festival travel gets greener…
- …as artists and venues lead by example
- Bestival helps families on a budget
- Gig-alert app Dice launches extras for concert add-ons
- Snap Nation offers exclusive behind-the-scenes content
- TikTok is moving into the live music space with IRL/livestreamed events
- Festivals reaching more-diverse audiences
- The power of Swiftonomics…
- …versus a struggling grassroots
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Concert adspend has increased, but remains below pre-COVID-19 levels
- Graph 24: total advertising expenditure* on music concerts, 2020-23
- ABBA Voyage accounted for 28% of all concert adspend in 2023
-
Appendix
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
£ 2,195 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount automatically applied in basket
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
