Christopher BarrettSome 1.9m music fans headed to the North West last year to see live shows by acts including Elton John and Stormzy, in doing so boosting the regional economy by £696 million.
The figures have been announced by music industry representative body UK Music, as its CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin joined policymakers and other music industry leaders in Liverpool today, July 14, for the first Modern Music Cities Conference.
The figure includes 120,00 foreign tourists and 1.8 million domestic tourists, who came to the region to experience a range of music events in 2022 including Stormzy at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool, Elton John at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, Dua Lipa at the AO Arena in Manchester and the BBC Philharmonic at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.
The report states that 300,000 music tourists attended festivals such as Parklife, Creamfields, Liverpool International Jazz Festival, Bluedot, Kendal Calling and Beat-Hearder.
It found that music tourism generated £696m in spending in the region across ticket sales, food and beverage sales, merchandise, venue parking, accommodation, travel, and additional spending outside of venues, as well as spending indirectly supported by such businesses’ supply chain.
In total, the report also found that five million people attended live events in the North West in 2022. This figure includes locals, as well as music tourists.
The figures are included in new report from UK Music titled Here, There and Everywhere, which is set to be published on 18 July. The organisation said it will reveal music tourism data for the UK, including breakdowns for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the English regions.
UK Music said the report highlights the economic value that music can bring to regions, featuring a guide for local authorities on how to maximise music’s potential, and also the cultural value that music can contribute to tourism.
It also looks at how major events such as Eurovision, should be looked at not only for the economic value, but also for the legacy that they can establish, with a case study from Jennifer Johnston, opera singer and Liverpool City Region Music Board member on this topic.
Njoku-Goodwin said, “Venues in the major cities like Liverpool and Manchester draw in legions of music fans from across the world to see some of the best talent around, including those produced by fantastic places like the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts.
“Music has been key ingredient in the North West’s economic and cultural success – and it is critical to the region’s future too.
“By harnessing the power of music, towns and cities across the North West can generate thousands more jobs, boost economic growth and lure even more visitors to the region.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said, “The potential our music and live entertainment industries have in the North West is huge both in terms of boosting our economy and creating good, skilled jobs. This is exactly why I have announced my ambitions to introduce the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) as a new clearer education pathway into more technical roles within our city-region’s most thriving industries.
“It’s also vital we support our upcoming artists at every opportunity we get, and I have launched my Artist of the Month initiative to help give Greater Manchester’s musicians a platform to grow.”
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said, “The success of staging a global spectacle such as Eurovision on behalf of our friends in Ukraine brought an estimated £40m economic boost to our area in May alone. More importantly, though, it helped to all but seal our area’s title as the undisputed home of British music.”