Total consumer spend on live music in the UK reached £6.68 billion last year, showing a significant increase, but challenges remain for grassroots operators.
UK Live Music Industry Reaches £6.68 Billion in Consumer Spend
Trade group LIVE has published its annual report providing stats on the UK live music sector, in which consumer spend rose 9.5% to £6.68 billion last year. However, while the upper end of live is booming, those operating at the grassroots are struggling and need more government support.
Key Findings
Total consumer spend on live music in the UK reached £6.68 billion last year, according to trade body LIVE, which is a 9.5% increase year-on-year, and over £2 billion more than 2019 before the COVID pandemic shut down the sector for eighteen months. These are the top level stats in a new report from LIVE.
Bringing together organisations representing artists, promoters, venues, festivals, booking agents, ticket agents, and event production companies, the report confirms there were lots of gigs and lots of tickets sold last year, with one gig taking place every 137 seconds across the UK on average.
Challenges
Despite the overall growth, challenges persist in the live music sector. While arena and stadium shows are thriving, grassroots operators are facing difficulties. Festivals are also struggling due to surging production costs.
Trade group LIVE is pushing for more support from the government and has launched a voluntary ticket levy scheme to ensure that funding from top-tier shows trickles down to grassroots artists, promoters, and venues. Industry experts are calling for additional measures such as tax relief for festival promoters.
Looking Ahead
LIVE CEO Jon Collins emphasized the need to protect and nurture the ecosystem of the live music industry to ensure its long-term sustainability. Collaboration between industry stakeholders and government is essential to address the challenges faced by grassroots operators and to sustain the thriving upper end of the market.
Conclusion
While the UK live music sector saw significant growth in consumer spend last year, challenges remain for grassroots operators who are struggling amid the current economic landscape. The industry is calling for more government support and initiatives to ensure a balanced and sustainable live music ecosystem in the country.
Published on 04 September 2025 by UKFG
