A Break From Budget Gloom - Brits Still Protect One Spend - Live Music

London may have the biggest population in the UK - and boast national stadiums and more than 120 music venues – but the North West is the place where people are most likely to enjoy live music, according to new research.

Many would claim that the North West is already home to trailblazing artists that have shaped music history – acts including; The Beatles, Joy Division, Oasis, New Order, The Smiths and Take That. The new research by The London Essentials reveals that people in the region are most likely to attend gigs during the typical year – although London still remains the place where gig-goers go to shows most often.

As the UK’s leading international touring party band, The London Essentials polled a representative sample of 2,000 adults to get a picture of the public’s support for live music at home around the UK – and at a time when many grassroots venues have struggled to keep their doors open during the cost-of-living crisis.

Nationally, 77% of adults said going to concerts to enjoy live music was important and something they liked to do. People in the North West were most interested in supporting live music (87%) – and, nationally, gig-going has now become more popular in Scotland (81%) than it is in England (78%) and Wales (69%).

People in the North West and Scotland were most likely to go to fewer, special concerts a year – for example, 29% people in the North West said they would typically go to concerts a of a couple of times a year, yet they were also happy to spend the most on tickets – 53% saying they would usually spend more than £50 a ticket.

Whilst people in the North West are more likely to support gigs during the year, those Londoners that do go to gigs are the most likely in the UK to go to live shows most frequently. Ahead of all other regions, 18% of Londoners go to a music gig most weeks – with 19% supporting live music on a monthly basis.

The Welsh are the least likely in the UK to go to concerts at all (69%) and they are also least likely to spend £50 or more on a concert ticket (34%).

Compared to their counterparts in Wales and Scotland, people in England accept paying a lot more money for concert tickets - 50% of English survey respondents will pay £50 or more a ticket, compared to just a third of people in Scotland (34%) and Wales (34%).

Ben Matthews, Founder of The London Essentials
The two overwhelmingly positive findings from our research are that seven in 10 people put a real value on live music experiences – and also that live music continues to be an important part of live in all regions across the UK. The ultimate international party band, The London Essentials spends a lot of our time flying the flag for the UK abroad, and delighting audiences worldwide with the best of British music – everything from Queen and the Spice girls to Ed Sheeran and The Beatles. London continues to be the place where people can enjoy gigs on a weekly or monthly basis, as there are so many shows on in any given week. Elsewhere across the UK, music concerts are special occasions to savor and we also buy into that, our performances are all about special moments for special occasions.

We live in an age where music, along with the creative industries more generally, is grappling to secure its future in the age of AI, of instant gratification and streaming. In truth, the human intimacy and creative in-the-moment magic of a live show can’t be rivaled, copied or emulated – and in the tough times we live in, live music will always be there to offer inspiration, escapism and special moments of shared joy.

The ultimate international party band, The London Essentials are a band of five gentlemen who specialise in raising the standard, pulse and temperature of parties around the world. Once experienced live, a band that is never forgotten. The London Essentials discard the formalities of the stage, with deliciously cheeky, theatrical performances that put the audience in the heart of a show. From intimate rooms to global stages, they’re known for transforming gatherings into shared experiences — the kind audiences say they miss: human, surprising and connected. Their perspective blends fresh research with insight from hundreds of performances each year for fans, brands and venues that value the magical moments created by fully immersive shows that live in the moment and put the audience into the heart of a show. Discover more about the London Essentials at: https://thelondonessentials.com/

Regional comparisons: The percentage of people that go to music concerts, how often and the percentage that are prepared to spend more than £50 on a ticket.

	Net % that go to music concerts during the year	% that go weekly	% that go Monthly	% that go 2-3 times a year	% that will spend £50 or more for a ticket
North West	87%	10%	11%	29%	53%
London	85%	18%	19%	23%	50%
Scotland	81%	6%	14%	29%	34%
East Midlands	79%	10%	15%	28%	49%
Yorkshire/Humberside	76%	9%	13%	24%	46%
West Midlands	76%	7%	9%	27%	47%
North East	75%	14%	7%	25%	47%
South East	75%	6%	9%	24%	52%
South West	71%	11%	10%	19%	42%
East Anglia	70%	6%	7%	22%	49%
Wales	69%	8%	13%	20%	34%

Country comparisons: The percentage of people that go to music concerts, how often and the percentage that are prepared to spend more than £50 on a ticket.

	Net % that go to music concerts during the year	% that go weekly	% that go Monthly	% that go 2-3 times a year	% that will spend £50 or more for a ticket
Scotland	81%	6%	14%	29%	34%
Net England	78%	11%	11%	25%	50%
Wales	69%	8%	13%	20%	34%