Music has cemented its status as a primary driver for international travel to the United Kingdom, according to a newly released report. Data from UK Music indicates that 2025 was a record-breaking year for the sector, with domestic music tourists reaching 22.6 million—a 3.2% increase from the 21.9 million recorded in 2024. International visitors also saw a significant surge, with 2.1 million overseas fans traveling to the UK for music events, marking a 26.8% jump from the 1.6 million visitors in 2024.
This influx of visitors led to a record-high spend of £11.2 billion (€13.1 billion) across major concerts and festivals, including Glastonbury, Download, Reading, Wireless, and Boomtown. This figure represents an 11.3% increase in spending compared to the previous year. Glastonbury, which hosted performances by The 1975, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, and Charli xcx before its 2026 fallow year, remained a major catalyst for tourism in Somerset. Similar economic activity was observed in East Anglia, bolstered by Ed Sheeran’s series of shows at Portman Road stadium in Ipswich.
The highly anticipated Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour served as a massive economic engine, featuring 17 sold-out concerts across the UK. The tour included two shows at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, five at Manchester’s Heaton Park, seven at London’s Wembley Stadium, and three at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium. Barclays had previously estimated that fans attending the tour would spend a combined £1.06 billion (€1.24 billion), with roughly 1.4 million attendees spending an average of £766 (€899) each on tickets, travel, accommodation, and related expenses.
Beyond the Oasis reunion, headline performances from artists such as Sam Fender, South Korean group Blackpink, and Catfish and The Bottlemen contributed to a significant revenue surge. Regional data highlights this growth, with music tourism spending in the North West rising 15.6% to £1.4 billion (€1.64 billion), while London saw a 27.4% increase, reaching £3.4 billion (€3.99 billion) in 2025.
Forget the royal family, football and fish and chips, some might say that music is one of the biggest reasons why international tourists visit the United Kingdom. Now, according to a newly released report, they could be right.
