Market Report: UK
Competition is steep in all aspects of the UK music market – from tours to tickets and everything in between, there’s never a shortage of activity.
Despite an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, tours continue to flourish with Taylor Swift doing eight nights at Wembley Stadium (alongside Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Liverpool), and Bruce Springsteen, Travis Scott, Madonna, The Killers, and Olivia Rodrigo all made stops here as well. The OVG-backed Co-op Live arena in Manchester opened its doors in May.
Primary ticketing
Two major acquisitions have taken place this past year. Firstly, CTS Eventim acquired Glastonbury ticketer See Tickets in June in a €300m deal. Both companies will retain their identities, and Eventim says it is seeing positive results from its flexible ticketing systems.
Two major acquisitions have taken place this past year. Firstly, CTS Eventim acquired Glastonbury ticketer See Tickets in June in a €300m deal.
“Client focus is our USP, backed by the technology and the support of Europe’s largest ticket provider,” says Martin Fitzgerald, Eventim UK’s managing director, who – just as we went to press – announced he was leaving the business to pursue a career in film writing.
And secondly, in April, AEG-owned AXS took over NEC Group’s Ticket Factory, establishing a new base in Birmingham – “a key market,” says Blaine Legere, president, international at AXS. The multinational firm has added key venues Resorts World Arena and Utilita Arena Birmingham to its client list. “We will now have more boots on the ground to support our business north of London and elsewhere in the UK,” he says.
AXS has been making strides in new initiatives, launching partnerships with TikTok and Nimbus Disability. The latter is set to improve accessible ticketing, with fan-specific services and dedicated accommodation options.
AXS has been making strides in new initiatives, launching partnerships with TikTok and Nimbus Disability.
Launching at The O2, the initiative is set to expand across all AXS venues worldwide – of which there are over 500 – and partners.
“The new system will offer ticket locations that most accurately meet their individual requirements. It will give consumers the security of knowing that their particular needs will be met when attending the event,” Legere says.
Ticketmaster launched its Local platform last October to showcase grassroots shows and venues. In a market packed with gigantic tours, opening the door for smaller shows is a priority for the team.
Ticketmaster launched its Local platform last October to showcase grassroots shows and venues.
“Whether it’s the Hydro in Glasgow or Hackney Church in London, everyone’s looking to connect their audience to incredible shows right on their doorsteps,” says Andrew Parsons, regional VP of UK & Ireland and UK MD.
With stiff competition, major firms are constantly innovating and launching new products. See Tickets recently introduced new payment plan tools, a data warehouse, and new software systems to improve customer engagement and reporting.
“Our comprehensive service offerings and commitment to excellence ensure we continue to exceed client expectations despite the competitive pressures,” says CEO Rob Wilmshurst. “These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver superior value and support to our clients,” he says.
With an ever-rising cost-of-living issue, fans are being careful with money. Skiddle – one of the top five ticketing companies – is seeing a big shift toward last-minute sales, often split into instalments. “Specifically, for festivals, this is 20-25% of tickets sold in the last seven days leading up to the event,” says founder and director Ben Sebborn.
With an ever-rising cost-of-living issue, fans are being careful with money.
Nonetheless, ticket sales and revenue continue to rise for Skiddle, which reported a total ticket sales value of £97m in 2022, £131m in 2023, and £158m for 2024. Demand is up over 40% this year for live music event tickets for the independent firm.
Owned by DEAG, through its UK company KMJ Entertainment (formerly Kilimanjaro Group), Nottingham-based Gigantic is also working on local efforts. The firm, which boasts a customer base of around 8m, will soon launch a self-service white-labelling platform.
“We want it to help smaller, independent venues, promoters, and artists by giving them a free website and free place to put all their information to collect all the data in one place,” says CCO Simon Carpenter.
DICE is reportedly eyeing a private equity deal. Bloomberg says the company initiated a more formal process after being approached by a prospective buyer, with one of its biggest investors, Softbank, keen to sell its stake.
Bloomberg says the company initiated a more formal process after being approached by a prospective buyer, with one of its biggest investors, Softbank, keen to sell its stake.
DICE Extras is their newest product and provides a centralised way to offer extra experiences, accommodation/ transport, food/beverage, and merch options to fans. “So far, independent venue and promoter partners have seen up to a 30% increase in average event revenue,” says Andrew Foggin, DICE’s global head of music.
The UK’s largest independent ticket agency, Ticketline, is undergoing a major rebrand, according to CEO Paul Betesh. “We are also rewriting our core ticketing systems. After decades of upgrading systems and functionality, we are using our extensive experience to create an advanced modern ticketing system that contains everything an event organiser would want from a system,” he says.
There are also plenty of B2B event discovery platforms and white-label companies: Eventbrite, SeatGeek, Tixly, and TicketSellers, which was acquired by Citizen Ticket, the event ticketing and bookings platform, in a seven-figure deal.
Distribution of sales
Roughly 90% of sales are digital, with innovations to protect consumers and simplify the purchasing process increasing in frequency.
“Delayed fulfilment, dynamic barcodes, in-app ticketing, or a combination of the above are now common practices to fight fraud and ticket touts,” says a representative of ticket reseller TicketSwap.
Partnering with music discovery platforms is becoming increasingly popular. Ticketmaster expanded its TikTok partnership to over 20 markets, including the UK, and added integrations with Shazam to its collaborations, which also include Spotify and Snapchat.
Partnering with music discovery platforms is becoming increasingly popular.
DICE now offers personalised recommendations via Spotify and Apple Music, and Eventbrite and AXS both joined forces with TikTok. “AXS’s partnership with TikTok provides a new way for consumers to find tickets to the artists and events they love while engaged in content on TikTok,” says Legere.
Trending soundbites and show clips are an undeniable driver of sales for live performances, further emphasising the importance for ticketing firms to get onboard with digital-forward innovations.
“We’re seeing artists like Kate Bush and Sophie Ellis-Bexter attract younger audiences via viral TikTok grabs or features in shows like Stranger Things,” says Matt Kaplan, Tixel’s head of UK & Europe.
Value of market
Live music is a massive part of the UK cultural sector and is only “going to get bigger,” according to music industry economist Will Page. He spoke last year about the trend, telling IQ he expects the upward trend to be sustainable even after the post-pandemic bottleneck wears down. “[It’s partly] this new phenomenon of stadiums and festivals increasing frequency, ticket prices, and demand,” Page told IQ in December.
Statista projects the music events market will surpass £1.5bn in revenue this year, with an annual growth rate of 2.5%.
Secondary ticketing
The newly elected Labour government was quick to single out ticket touting in its cultural plan, signalling its intentions to protect consumers with a cap on resale prices. While there is currently no legislation, the companies involved have started taking matters into their own hands.
While there is currently no legislation, the companies involved have started taking matters into their own hands.
TicketSwap caps resale at 120%, AXS at 110%, and Twickets charges a fee of 10-15% of the selling price, except on a few occasions. Ticketmaster and Eventim also have fan-to-fan, face-value, resale programmes.
“We’ve heard others in our industry state that price caps don’t work, and we believe that’s nonsense paraded as fact for commercial benefit. Our business is thriving, and our brand is healthy, and we do it all with price-capped (AKA fair) tickets,” says Tixel’s Kaplan. Operating in 15 markets, Tixel has expanded in the UK with several Superstruct and Kilimanjaro Live events.
For SeatGeek, which operates in both primary and secondary markets, leveraging technology is paramount to keeping tickets in the hands of fans: “We employ proprietary technology combined with cutting-edge, third-party technologies, all dedicated to security and prevention,” says Russ D’Souza, co-founder and president of supply.
International/domestic splits & genres
The market continues to diversify and evolve – country, electronic, Afrobeats, Latin, and K-Pop are hitting new heights, while pop and rock continue to soar. Eventbrite says dance music is its most-attended genre, with classical music just behind. Meanwhile, See Tickets is eyeing festival growth.
“There are numerous sectors with significant growth potential, including music, exhibitions, and other commercial events,” says See Tickets’ Wilmshurst. “By diversifying our service offerings and targeting these growth sectors, we aim to drive sustained growth and expand our market presence.”
“There are numerous sectors with significant growth potential, including music, exhibitions, and other commercial events”
Sports are a priority for SeatGeek, and Skiddle is looking at comedy and food and drink events. For Gigantic, roughly 25% of their sales come from family entertainment.
Cultural analysis
The cost-of-living crisis continues to dampen consumers’ ability to pay rising on-sale and resale ticket prices.
Ticketline’s Betesh says the indie sector is showing positive signs after “a few difficult years”. “We’re seeing an upturn across the board, despite the drop in the number of independent venues and festivals over the last couple of years. We’re delighted the sector is fighting back and that we’re helping it to do so. We have always worked with independents, who like our personal touch. We have helped many to grow, sometimes to our detriment as they get bought out by the bigger corporates.”
Taxes & charges
VAT on tickets is 20%. Service fees up to 20%.
Country Profile: UK
“The year 2024 has been an excellent year in terms of ticket sales and demand,” says Live Nation UK and Ireland chairman Denis Desmond. “And we’re looking forward to another brilliant year for artists and fans alike in 2025.”
This assessment is a good summary of the UK market at the moment, although it’s not without its challenges. Like all markets, the top end of the business is seeing record-breaking sales and grosses, but the costs of touring mean promoters need to be careful and strategic when it comes to the majority of shows.
The key companies working with international acts include Live Nation, AEG Presents, SJM Concerts, Marshall Arts, TEG Europe, and DEAG-owned KMJ Entertainment companies including Kilimanjaro Live.
There’s also Eventim-owned FKP Scorpio Entertainment, which specialises in touring exhibitions and family shows, and Academy Events, the promoter arm of Live Nation-owned venue company Academy Music Group, which runs the string of O2 Academy spaces around the nation. A healthy independent scene also exists, including DHP Family, Eat Your Own Ears, Communion ONE, and Crosstown Concerts.
“He’s turning the traditional ways of selling shows – that you need a certain amount of time between announcing and the show – on its head. It’s all about creative moments. And it’s totally refreshing, because it means there are no rules.”
Live Nation’s aforementioned excellent year included stadium shows with AC/DC, Green Day and Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, plus its blockbuster festivals division, which includes Reading/Leeds, Latitude, and Wireless.
AEG Presents UK had a bumper year, not least due to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour, which sold some 1.2m tickets in the market and saw her become the first solo artist to play eight shows at Wembley Stadium.
Among its other successes this year were performances by Robbie Williams, Kylie, and others at its British Summertime Hyde Park festival, while Sabrina Carpenter, Mitski, and many others are drawing in new live music fans.
“We also had Fred again.. at Alexandra Palace, which was announced on his socials 24 hours before going on sale and sold out in minutes,” says CEO Steve Homer. “He’s turning the traditional ways of selling shows – that you need a certain amount of time between announcing and the show – on its head. It’s all about creative moments. And it’s totally refreshing, because it means there are no rules.”
“Ticket sales are very strong at all levels indoors”
Across the UK, “ticket sales are very strong at all levels indoors,” says KMJ Entertainment CEO Stuart Galbraith. “Sales in stadiums are also strong, and outdoor sales in established mid-level venues like Edinburgh Castle and Kew Gardens are also very good. Sales in less established venues and greenfield sites are variable as that market has too many competitive shows.”
He notes that demand for higher price tickets in arenas is also strong, and the company saw its best-ever sales for its Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in 2024, “and sales for 2025 [are] already great,” reports Galbraith. “I think 2025 will be a very busy year for Kilimanjaro and KMJ Entertainment overall.”
However, there remain challenges – not least the globally familiar tale of costs and the high value of the US dollar against the pound, as Homer notes: “We’ve had quite a few international artists coming in but there’s some that haven’t been able to for economic reasons – the cost of touring has become quite restrictive for some artists. The big acts can afford to do it because they have far more available funds, but smaller and mid-sized acts are finding it difficult.”
Homer says he talks to managers and agents about offering VIP packages to help fund tours. “Uber-fans are sometimes prepared to pay more for the opportunity to get closer to the artist, which is an option to raise revenue while keeping prices at a level suitable for 90% of the audience.”
“Uber-fans are sometimes prepared to pay more for the opportunity to get closer to the artist, which is an option to raise revenue while keeping prices at a level suitable for 90% of the audience.”
In Scotland, DF Concerts is the dominant promoter, while Regular Music (part of KMJ Entertainment) and others do excellent business here, too.
“Appetite is very high at the moment with plenty of US acts coming into the UK to tour in 2024, and the first half of 2025 is very strong, with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, and Gracie Abrams all playing,” says DF CEO Geoff Ellis.
The company is promoting Oasis’s shows – “the biggest demand ever seen in Scotland for a concert among established fans but also young fans who have never seen the band live,” says Ellis. It’s also seen success with Stevie Nicks, Chappell Roan, Shania Twain, Catfish & the Bottlemen, and Green Day at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. The company’s TRNSMT festival sold out all three days in advance.
In Northern Ireland, key promoters include Aiken, MCD, and Shine, which owns venues including Limelight and The Telegraph Building, and runs outdoor events Belsonic (20,000), Emerge Music Festival (60,000), and Custom House Square (5,000).
“Appetite is very high at the moment with plenty of US acts coming into the UK to tour in 2024, and the first half of 2025 is very strong.”
“Northern Ireland has the downside at times of the logistical challenge of getting here, but the upside of that is that it’s an underserved market with a huge catchment area of 2m people, plus probably a fair few from the Republic of Ireland, as well,” says Shine director Joe Dougan. “There’s a very strong lineage of rock and heavy metal here, and the market for electronic music is very strong, so a lot of American and international DJs come here. The big standout success recently is US country music.
“Irish audiences are very good audiences. They’re incredibly enthusiastic [and] loyal as well. So people that come here tend to build up a following and hold onto it.”
Ellis says that in Scotland, “Country music, which has always been strong in Glasgow, is stronger than ever and has massively crossed over. Female solo artists are doing incredible business. It’s encouraging to see strong sales at club level, with emerging artists as well as arenas and outdoors having a bumper year, too.”
Galbraith succinctly sums up the market: “Book carefully and avoid unnecessary risks.”
“Book carefully and avoid unnecessary risks.”
Among the independent promoters, Communion ONE was founded in March 2024 when the team of promoters from FKP Scorpio’s UK office merged with Communion Presents. Scorpio is a minority shareholder in the firm, which is led by managing directors Daniel Ealam, Mazin Tappuni, and Scott O’Neill. It has recently had successes with shows by Jungle, The War on Drugs, and Noah Kahan.
“There was a gap in the market for a promoter at our level, one that can offer an alternative to the multinational- dominated landscape,” says Ealam. “We’re not just competing; we’re offering something different – something that feels fresh but also has the size and scale to do anything at any level.”
He says a key change in the UK market recently has been the speed with which artists can progress from smaller venues to arenas. “Acts are blowing up quickly. A good example is Noah Kahan – we went from two nights at The O2 Forum Kentish Town to two nights at OVO Arena Wembley and then two nights at The O2 in just over a year. It’s amazing how fast things can escalate now.”
O’Neill adds: “Some mid-level acts struggle because they’re touring too frequently or not making their shows feel special. When we work on an event, we make sure it’s something unique. You have to create a real sense of excitement around it. We promoted The Reytons doing a hometown show and it sold 20,000 tickets.”
“Acts are blowing up quickly. It’s amazing how fast things can escalate now.”
Ticket sales have now returned to the familiar sales patterns of pre-Covid, with a notable difference – that there’s a slight uptick towards the end if tickets are still available.
“In terms of genres, the 80s and 90s acts now are seeing really solid sales – we had real success with OMD this year, selling more tickets than they’ve ever sold,” says Homer. “And acts like Squeeze, ABC, Level 42, are seeing a real renaissance. Equally, 90s R&B and the ‘new jazz’ genre, with acts such as Ezra Collective [who play OVO Arena Wembley in November] are looking very strong.”
Indeed, what is loosely called jazz is having a major resurgence, as the UK’s leading jazz promoter Serious can attest. The company promotes more than 600 shows a year, including 350 that make up the annual EFG London Jazz Festival (100,000+ ticket sales each November). Director Pelin Opcin says acts such as Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Moses Boyd, and many other British acts are leading the way across Europe and have crossed over into the ‘mainstream’ in the UK.
“We are going through very exciting times,” says Opcin. “The jazz boom is now really appealing to wider audiences. What’s important is that we ensure the people who are passionate about these genres put the expertise and care towards it, because if it’s presented in the same formulaic way as much of Western contemporary music, there’s a chance that it is not going to satisfy either party.
“The jazz boom is now really appealing to wider audiences. What’s important is that we ensure the people who are passionate about these genres put the expertise and care towards it”
“That’s how Serious differentiates itself – we have significant expertise and passion around doing the right thing for the music, the musicians, the audiences.”
While things are booming at the top end, when it comes to the grassroots level, the number of venues is in decline, with around 10% closing in 2023, according to Music Venue Trust. It says 125 venues abandoned live music last year, with half of those closing, due to cost pressures.
For success at this level, Galbraith advises: “Be smart about assessing digital data and social channels before committing to developmental shows. You have to be more selective and cautious about show choices. Increased costs mean we have to avoid poor-selling development shows.”
However, embarking on the correct strategy means acts are still breaking through. “Choosing the right venues for that first tour is critical,” says Communion ONE’s Ealam. “We like to do multiple shows on the first visit to give the artist a strong presence. For example, we have a band called flipturn coming, and we sold out three shows months in advance. It’s important to create buzz and make the early shows feel special.”
“Choosing the right venues for that first tour is critical.”
His colleague Tappuni agrees: “It’s all about fan and artist experience. We work hard to tell the artist’s story through social media, ensuring that fans feel connected. Our goal is to create a community through our social channels where people discover new acts that they’ll continue to follow.”
AEG’s Homer says: “The whole point of the business is looking to see what’s coming, to support it and make it as cost effective as possible. There are a number of artists that want to do very cheap tickets, and they understand what the economics of that means. And we’re fully supportive of them; we try and make sure that we maximise their social channels as much as possible to reduce marketing costs and have the biggest reach without having to spend huge sums of money; and we look at creative ways of marketing these shows to reach a wider audience.”
DF’s Ellis says the traditional model remains solid. “Don’t go too big too soon. Sell out the shows comfortably, build up the fanbase, and move up when ready. Always build the excitement and make the live show a life-affirming moment for the fans who get a ticket, then they will be with you for a career rather than just one tour.”
“Don’t go too big too soon. Sell out the shows comfortably, build up the fanbase, and move up when ready.”
In order to help artists grow, Serious runs talent and professional development programmes. “We want to help grow the grassroots sector, not only on the audience side but also on the emerging artists and industry side,” says Opcin.
It’s Take Five scheme offers acts training in the industry. Previous participants include some of the biggest names in jazz, such as Shabaka Hutchings, Hutchins, Nubya Garcia, and Soweto Kinch. It also runs a scheme for aspiring industry professionals called Milestones and recently launched Equalizer with charity Black Lives In Music, which aims to increase diversity in the production industry.
Summer 2025 is shaping up to be the biggest year ever for concerts in the UK, with more stadium shows than ever and major arena tours by some of the most popular acts in the world. AEG’s Homer concludes: “It’s going to be a great year.”
Arena Market: UK
The opening of Oak View Group’s new £365m venue, Co-op Live, in May, is a testament to the rude health of the UK’s live music scene at arena level. The market is also home to one of the world’s biggest-grossing arenas (The O2) and one of the world’s most famous – think “Hello, Wembley!”
Audiences are hungry for entertainment of increasingly broad types, as venues find themselves hosting everything from comedy to K-Pop, sports to Latin stars.
One of the world’s biggest-selling arenas is The O2 in London, where VP and general manager Steve Sayer says the next 12–18 months “look good at arena level.” He says the venue has seen a number of residencies from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo (four dates), Liam Gallagher (four), and The Killers (six), with six dates with Billie Eilish lined up for 2025.
The venue just completed a complete Wi-Fi upgrade and opens a new grab-and-go style frictionless payment kiosk in July.
“That’s going to be a game-changer that will really improve the guest experience, give fans an opportunity to quickly buy something and get back to the show.”
In February, the venue ran the world’s first carbon-removed arena shows across four dates by The 1975 (see sustainability feature on page 14). Now the venue team is templating the methods for that show, with the aim of offering it to any artist.
“That’s going to be a game-changer that will really improve the guest experience.”
Further investments are being made to renovate artist dressing rooms, which will be upgraded in two summer phases; and a number of large-format LED screens around the arena are being upgraded.
Sayer says the arena always had a wide mix of entertainment, but there’s a much broader range of content now. “Traditionally, arenas would have been rock, pop, and legend artists, now it’s much more diverse. The last few years have seen the rise of K-Pop, Latin – we’ve got J Balvin, Karol G, and more coming up – country, Afrobeat, and Afropop.”
The international lineup also plays out across the city at the OVO Arena Wembley, where VP and general manager John Drury says: “Business has come back to pre-Covid levels, with a high proportion of international acts visiting us. As our market covers the whole London area, it’s fortunate that we welcome many artists from a multitude of different countries and cultures who can play to the capital’s diverse population. This year, in just one week alone, we had artists from South Korea, China, Iran, and the USA taking to the stage, although the majority is coming from the UK and America, as you’d expect.”
“He says one of the venue’s main focuses is sustainability we’d like to build on our Greener Arena status and show that the longer standing arenas can stay fresh and relevant. It’s been widely reported that the most sustainable arena is an existing one remodelled – when you can do that, you’ll not use the embodied carbon expended by building a new ”
Drury says, in common with arenas across the world, one of the main challenges is that event and building costs are rising faster than rental increases, so margins are being squeezed. “It’s worth noting that rents only cover the cost of running events and don’t contribute to the running costs of our buildings, which is of course significant.”
The 4,000–12,000-cap venue is working on a major refurbishment to one of the lounges. “As part of this, we will also be relocating crew catering, building a promoter lounge, and creating a walk-through to the auditorium to give easy movement between lounges and auditorium,” says Drury.
One of the capital’s most striking looking venues is the 10,250-capacity Alexandra Palace (known colloquially as Ally Pally), which recently celebrated its 150th anniversary.
“We’d like to build on our Greener Arena status and show that the longer standing arenas can stay fresh and relevant”
Commercial director Lucy Fenner says: “We have achieved some real milestones in recent years, in terms of the profile, volume, and variety of events we have hosted. In the coming 18 months, we are looking to build on this momentum. We have an increased programme of outdoor live music in the summer, including our own festival, Kaleidoscope, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and Bombay Bicycle Club. Then a busy autumn of indoor gigs in the main arena and theatre.
“We’ve also got a couple of exciting projects in the pipeline that will mean people can experience Ally Pally in a totally different way than they ever have before.”
The venue is working on a project to restore an area of the palace that has never previously been open to the public. As well as that, it’s built a changing place facility for customers with access needs. “But the biggest thing for us now is sustainability,” says Fenner. “We are making improvements such as increasing our recycling; trialling green energy solutions; upgrading our heating and lighting; forming new partnerships; and securing green funding. There is a lot of scope to improve, but we are ambitious, and ultimately, want to become an industry leader.”
Manchester’s stalwart venue at this size is the AO Arena, from where general manager Jen Mitchell says, “We welcome the competition. It raises everyone’s game and is great for fans, artists, and for Manchester. We’re operating a trusted, legendary venue, which has stood the test of time in the city for 30 years now, so we’ve seen first-hand the growth and development of Manchester – it’s something that we understand completely, being a part of the community.
“On top of our unique history and track record of delivering unforgettable experiences for fans, we’re the only venue that is centrally located and fully supports the business community within the city centre. The ease of getting in and out of the venue means that our guests can arrive confidently, in the knowledge that they can relax into the whole show, without my worrying about how they get home. We’ve also seen a huge £50m investment into the venue’s redevelopment.
“We have increased venue capacity to 23,000, and our unique 360-degree design means that we are the biggest arena in the UK for many types of show configuration. The fan experience has been transformed; we have upgraded the artist dressing rooms, complete with a private kitchen, so that the AO Arena feels like a home from home for all artists and crew. We have built brand-new bars and concourses and new hospitality areas all with an elevated food offering.”
“The venue has been operating successfully as one of the busiest in the world and one of the biggest in the UK and Europe for decades”
Mitchell says the venue is working to achieve its Greener Arena certification by A Greener Future. “The venue has been operating successfully as one of the busiest in the world and one of the biggest in the UK and Europe for decades, and we are confident that we will remain the must-play venue in Manchester for the next 30 years,” she adds.
In the Midlands, Birmingham’s NEC Group runs the Utilita Arena Birmingham (15,800) and Resorts World Arena (15,685), the latter of which will be renamed bp pulse LIVE following a naming rights deal with the electric-vehicle-charging network. The arenas’ owner, NEC Group, recently sold its ticketing arm, The Ticket Factory, to AEG’s AXS. Doja Cat, Girls Aloud, Deep Purple, Charli XCX, and André Rieu are all on the calendar for the venues this year.
And in the north west, Liverpool’s 11,000-cap M&S Bank Arena hosted last year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. “Last year was incredible,” says Ben Williams, the arena’s commercial and business development director. “The next 12–18 months are set to be just as exciting with a strong lineup of diverse live events.
“We are a regional venue; not only are we providing a place where people can see top artists and major sports events, but we’re leading the way in using major events to provide social value to the people who live in our city. This year, we’re focused on transforming the customer experience, ensuring that everyone who visits feels welcome and well looked after. We’re driving sustainability across our campus, increasing biodiversity of the site and creating a green rider specifically for the arena.” The arena recently achieved Gold Status in Attitude is Everything’s Live Access Events Charter.
Williams says the trend for festivals and outdoor events has had an impact on arena shows. “We’ve combatted this by diversifying our offering. The M&S Bank Arena is unique in that it’s part of an interconnected events campus that also includes a convention and exhibition centre.”
“The next 12–18 months are set to be just as exciting with a strong lineup of diverse live events.”
Scottish audiences are renowned for their enthusiastic welcoming of artists. At the 3,000–4,300-capacity OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Debbie McWilliams says: “The appetite for live entertainment in Scotland is as strong as ever, and we are in the midst of an exceptionally busy year. We’ve hosted some huge international acts already this year, from Olivia Rodrigo to Nicki Minaj, and we’re delighted to be one of the few arenas welcoming Stevie Nicks this summer.”
Last year, the OVO Hydro marked its tenth anniversary, and next year will see “some of our most diverse programming to date,” says McWilliams, “with strong ticket sales across all genres spanning music, theatre, comedy, family entertainment, and sport.”
The venue was the first to be certified under A Greener Future’s Greener Arena scheme, and staff are working on several of the opportunities identified in the feedback, including publishing its first net-zero roadmap.
Among other sustainability measures are developing a long-term strategy for its food and beverage and the opening of a frictionless food and beverage unit.
McWilliams says premium experiences remain very popular, with all of its premium hospitality offerings at capacity. “Our most recent, Super Suite – the third new lounge to be launched since 2019 – sold out ahead of opening, demonstrating the continued demand for shared social spaces for small groups.
On the east coast of Scotland, the city of Aberdeen’s P&J Live arena opened in 2019. It can be configured from 3,500–15,000- cap. MD Rob Wicks says, “As Scotland’s third-largest city, we know we have to work hard to attract artists that might ordinarily see the central belt as something of a default choice. The scale, versatility, and attractiveness of the venue, along with the enviable and affluent demographic we have on our doorstep, certainly lend themselves to attracting world-class artists.”
Wicks says that when an international artist announces a European tour with just four or five UK dates, Scotland sometimes counts itself lucky to get one, so he is working with venues and promoters “to push for a larger share of the pie.
“As Scotland’s third-largest city, we know we have to work hard to attract artists that might ordinarily see the central belt as something of a default choice.”
We’re talking to promoters about routings that start in Aberdeen, include rehearsal time and providing artists with the ideal foundation to launch a tour. We’re also co-promoting an event later this year – having that additional skin in the game sends a strong message.”
And in Glasgow, the 5,200-cap Braehead Arena is home to The Glasgow Clan ice hockey team, but during summer hosts events and concerts of many genres.
Home to the Belfast Giants ice hockey team, Northern Ireland’s 1,500–11,200-cap SSE Arena Belfast is “experiencing regular sellouts across an array of shows and events, from music to sport,” says associate director of experience, Claire Cosgrave.
Acts including blink-182, Jonas Brothers, and The Script are due to perform this year, and the popular Country to Country festival returns in 2025. The venue will also host the opening show of the Les Misérables world tour, “and the demand for tickets has demonstrated a real appetite for traditional West End theatre productions to be performed on an arena scale.”
Earlier this year, The SSE Arena, Belfast became the first indoor arena in Europe to introduce Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. “Named PAY & AWAY, the frictionless, checkout- free store has revolutionised our food & beverage offerings, allowing customers to grab their favourite drinks and snacks more easily and efficiently, getting them back to the shows and events,” says Cosgrave.
“To date, with an average initial transaction time of less than a minute, and as low as just ten seconds for return visits, we have recorded a sales uplift of between 10% and 40%, depending on the event category and overall attendance.”
Wales is home to the 5,000-cap Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff and 3,500-cap Swansea Arena, which opened two years ago. The venue’s director, Lisa Mart, says “Large-scale touring is booming, and heritage acts are proving popular in mid- to small-scale venues like ours; when we have gigs on, the local appetite for them is strong, and we see great sales. But the challenge of soaring production costs and costs associated with transport is impacting the number of tours on the road, not to mention the impact that the crisis in the grassroots music scene is having on up-and-coming artists being ready to play a venue of our size.”
Nonetheless, Mart says business at the venue is “really promising.”
Due to the demand for the venue, it is working through a proposal to increase seated capacity by 300 to take it to 2,500 fully seated.