London’s music renaissance is a magnet for tourism – not to mention Taylor Swift fans
London is coming back as the key European capital for music – and that’s good news for artists, for Londoners and obviously for Taylor Swift fans, writes Jamie Njoku-Goodwin
Everyone living in and around London already knows it’s one of the world’s greatest cities for live music and attracts some of the finest global talents to work and record here.
Now, for the first time post-Covid we can see just how important live music and the music fans it brings in are for the capital’s economy – and for our proud status as the cultural capital of the world. Last year, there was a massive bounceback, with 4.9 million music tourists pouring into London for concerts, gigs and festivals, according to a new report, Here, There and Everywhere, by UK Music.
Music tourists spent an astonishing £2bn in 2022 on tickets, travel, eating and drinking as part of their night out at a gig – giving London’s restaurants and bars and wider hospitality sector a much-needed shot in the arm.
And the benefits haven’t just been for local businesses – the music tourism boom has created employment opportunities for Londoners too. A total of 13,200 jobs are supported by music tourism in London.
Of those music tourists who came to the city, 500,000 came from overseas to festivals and our world-class venues like the O2 and the Royal Albert Hall. 4.4 million came from other parts of the UK to see artists including Dua Lipa, Sam Fender, Dave, George Ezra and Nick Cave.
There are huge benefits to being a “music city” and every local area should want to capitalise on its musical potential. Our report outlines the actions local authorities can take – from using data and mapping, to regenerating empty spaces – to make their communities powerhouses of creativity. Of course, the views of residents should be taken into account. However, if – as is often the case – the music venue was there before anyone complaining about noise moved in, that should be a big factor.
Some developers are recognising the value of cultural placemaking and are building innovative partnerships with artistic organisations. Ballymore’s collaboration with English National Ballet on London City Island is a brilliant example of how these sorts of partnerships can transform a local area’s cultural identity and generate cultural, social and commercial benefits for all.
Music has the potential to rebuild our sense of place, especially at a time when offices are no longer the pull into the capital that they once were. With parts of London still seeing the lingering impact of remote working, music has huge potential in revitalising and re-energising our city and town centres. If we want to draw people back into our urban centres and re-establishing our sense of place and community, a thriving musical ecosystem is one of the most effective ways to do it.
The sector is still facing some real challenges. According to the Music Venue Trust, we are losing about a venue a week across the UK as operators struggle with rising energy cost and staff shortages. Many independent festivals have still not yet returned since the pandemic and recording studios are facing huge increases in costs that threaten their viability.
The music industry exists through symbiosis and when one part suffers, the whole sector feels the impact.
We all saw how miserable life was without live music during the pandemic – and the unprecedented demand for tickets to Taylor Swift’s London dates is just one example of how much appetite there is for live concerts and gigs. Whether it’s big stadium concerts, grassroots gigs or the studios and rehearsal spaces that draw global talent from across the world, music generates huge benefits for London and the country as a whole.