Joe GallopMore than a million people attended live music events across London last week (3-9 July), according to estimations by the According to the Music Venue Trust (MVT) and Mayor’s Office.
The MVT said sold-out arena gigs and smaller venues brought more than £320m to London in ticket sales and secondary spending.
Large-scale events that took place in the capital included BST Hyde Park (cap. 65,000) and Greenwich Summer Sounds (7,000), along with shows by Maroon 5 at the O2 Arena (20,000), The Weeknd at London Stadium (80,000), Blur at Wembley Stadium (90,000) and The 1975 at Finsbury Park (45,000). The 20th anniversary of the Somerset House Summer Series (1,500) featured sold-out performances from Gabriels, Interpol and Alison Goldfrapp.
LIVE chief executive Jon Collins said, “These figures confirm London’s place as one of the best places on the planet to enjoy live music – across all genres, from a diverse range of artists and at a great mix of venues. The truly exciting news is, with the right support, we could be doing even more. Supporting the grassroots venues and events that help develop the next generation of talent and offering even more shows to delight Londoners, tourists and day-trippers alike.”
MVT COO Beverley Whitrick said, “Music is the glue that binds London together. It’s fantastic to see so many people celebrating the incredible culture of diverse music that is an essential part of our modern British identity, and to see how artists like Wolf Alice, Dua Lipa, Blur, The 1975, Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Charlie XCX and Coldplay have progressed out of the smallest London venues to headline our biggest arenas and stadiums.”