Live music contributed £6bn to UK economy in 2023
The UK live music sector contributed a record £6.1 billion (€7.2bn) to the economy for the first time last year, according to freshly published data from trade body LIVE.
LIVE’s annual UK Live Music report shows live music achieved a year-on-year uptick of 17% since 2022 and an increase of 35% on the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. Live music also supported jobs for nearly 230,000 people last year – an increase of 9.4% since 2019.
The data analysis from research agency CGA by NIQ covers more than 55,000 gigs, concerts, festivals and events. It reveals the growth in the sector last year was driven largely by concert revenues, which jumped by 19% year-on-year and accounted for nearly three quarters (73.5%) of the total, boosted by major tours by acts such as Beyoncé and Coldplay.
Despite the positive headline figures however, LIVE warns that significant challenges remain for grassroots music venues, small festivals, and up-and-coming artists, with 36 festivals cancelled and 125 grassroots music venues closed permanently last year.
“2023 delivered significant growth for many sections of the live music ecosystem,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “We had some of the biggest names in music sell out tours and festivals across the UK, but we also saw pressure build up across our industry, leading to grassroots music venues and festivals left with no choice but to close down in the face of rising costs.”
“With a lower rate of VAT on tickets, we could see the sector grow further”
In response, LIVE is calling on the government to reduce the current rate of 20% VAT on tickets. It also supports the recommendation in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on Grassroots Music Venues that government should introduce a temporary cut to VAT to stimulate grassroots music activity, while undertaking a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of a cut to VAT on all concert tickets.
“We welcome the commitments made by the government to put the creative industries at the centre of the UK’s economic growth plan,” adds Collins. “Reintroducing a lower rate of VAT on tickets would bring the UK into line with international competitors and would be pivotal in unlocking the economic potential of our industry. With a lower rate of VAT on tickets, we could see the sector grow further, supporting more jobs, generating more investment, and putting on more gigs, festivals and tours for people to enjoy.”
On a regional basis, the data shows that London accounted for nearly a third (30.6%) of 2023’s total live music revenue, followed by Manchester at 7.4%. Glasgow took the lead in Scotland with 5.5% of the UK’s share, while other cities in the top 10 included Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Belfast.
“Our live music sector is world-class offering concerts, festivals, gigs and more to suit every music taste,” adds LIVE chair Steve Lamacq. “Last year, we saw much of the live music sector triumph over adversity; faced with a spike in costs as a result of inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and labour shortages, fans had more concerts and festivals than ever to enjoy.
“However, we cannot forget that urgent action is needed to support the many grassroots venues, artists, and festivals which continued to struggle last year.”
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LIVE appoints radio DJ Steve Lamacq as chair
UK trade body LIVE has appointed radio DJ and live music advocate Steve Lamacq as its new chair.
Lamacq has been a mainstay of BBC Radio programming for over 25 years as co-presenter of The Evening Session on Radio 1 before moving to host 6 Music.
Having stepped back from presenting his drive-time show full-time after 18 years, Lamacq has “decided to steer his career in a new direction in an effort to promote, support and define the live music industry for generations to come”.
Also joining LIVE, as co-opted directors, are Charisse Beaumont of Black Lives in Music, Christine Osazuwa of Shoobs and Lucy Noble of AEG Presents.
The appointments come as LIVE welcomes its 16th member, the Musicians’ Union (The MU). Kelly Wood, National Organiser for Live Performance, will also join LIVE’s board on behalf of the MU’s community of over 33,000 musicians.
“The UK’s live music industry is world-class but faces obstacles in realising its true potential,” says Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE. “With a sector value of over £5.2 billion, the industry is one of our greatest, and most prized cultural exports.
“It is a terrific opportunity to be a part of the future of live music in this country”
“We are proud to support the entirety of the live music ecosystem and represent their interests and the appointment of music legend Steve Lamacq, The MU’s Kelly Wood, Charisse Beaumont, Christine Osazuwa and Lucy Noble to LIVE’s board will enable us to further extend the work we’re doing. Steve will bring to LIVE unrivalled recognition of the power of the UK’s live music industry along with the challenges it faces. We are honoured to have such notable industry figures sitting on our board who will be key to enabling our enviable live music industry to thrive.”
Lamacq, adds: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been offered the chance to work with an organisation which is right at the centre of live music in the UK. As someone whose life has been indelibly shaped by the gigs that I’ve seen, it is a terrific opportunity to be a part of the future of live music in this country, and to be given the responsibility for helping promote, support and define it for generations to come.
“It has been a very difficult time for everyone involved in live music in recent years, with Brexit, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, rising energy bills for venues and many other challenges, which have affected everyone at all levels of the live music ecosystem. With that in mind there are many things we need to address whilst also looking forward to forging a more sustainable and inclusive industry.
“LIVE has already achieved a great deal through a number of important campaigns and I am excited about what we can achieve in the future. It will be a privilege to represent those across the entire spectrum of our sector.”
Kelly Wood, National Organiser for Live Performance at The MU, said, “This is a positive move for the sector and we are excited to join the LIVE board. Joining such a forward-thinking and dynamic organisation, whose priorities are closely aligned with our own will be critical to the industry. I hope that The MU’s presence on the LIVE board brings a new perspective and together with LIVE’s other member organisations, we will reinforce lobbying efforts and hold the Government to account to ensure the dynamism and potential of the sector is unleashed. This will better equip us to support our members working at all levels of the live sector, in terms of their local, national and international tours.”
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Bristol’s Thekla to receive £1m dry dock overhaul
DHP Family-owned Thekla (400-cap.), the award-winning live music boat venue based in Bristol, UK, is to be taken into dry dock on Monday 3 June for a £1 million overhaul to secure the boat’s next 50 years as a venue and club.
Ahead of the overhaul, Thekla will celebrate its 35th anniversary weekend from Thursday 2 to Saturday 5 May, with acts including BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, drum and bass artist Roni Size, rock group October Drift and Hessle Audio co-founder Pangaea.
Built in 1958, a new steel offset hull will be welded to the whole of the boat’s existing hull. A recent detailed survey showed that the current hull is near the end of its life, despite regular, routine inspections and repairs.
“There’s a lot of love for Thekla in Bristol, around the country and worldwide. Both music fans and bands like Florence and the Machine, White Denim, Mumford and Sons, Ellie Goulding and many others who have played there over the years have taken part in some great nights,” says George Akins of DHP Family.
“We’re committed to preserving that heritage and that’s why we’re getting the new hull fitted – we need to make sure that Thekla continues to be a great night out for the next 50 years,” adds Akins.
“There’s a lot of love for Thekla in Bristol, around the country and worldwide […] we need to make sure that Thekla continues to be a great night out for the next 50 years”
At over 50 metres in length, Thekla is one of the longest ships in Bristol’s floating harbour. Repairs will be undertaken in the grade two listed Albion dry dock, which reopened in 2018 to allow maintenance and repair to be carried out on large ships in the city.
“We are very pleased to be undertaking works on Thekla and so secure her long term future in Bristol,” comments Martin Childs, co-owner of the Albion Dock Company. “Equally, her visit to the Albion Dockyard helps our venture in bringing this historic facility back to full time use as a working dry dock.”
Thekla will return to its usual position in Bristol’s floating harbour and reopen to the public in early September 2019. The Thekla team will announce the exact date of its reopening through its website and social media channels.
In 2017, DHP called on supporters to back its #savethekla campaign amid fears that noise complaints would cause the venue to close following the approval of a new housing development adjacent to the venue.
More information about the Thekla 35th anniversary celebrations can be found here.
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Venues Day 2018 sells out
The 2018 edition of Venues Day, which takes place at Islington Assembly Hall in London next Wednesday (17 October), has sold out, organiser Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced.
Venues Day 2018, which moves after four successful years at Ministry of Sound, will host more than 500 delegates representing over 200 venues, together with key grassroots music venue sector stakeholders, for a day of panels, workshops and presentations.
Agenda highlights include panels on music industry practice, health and wellbeing and company structures, while presentations include PRS/PPL on licensing, John Spellar MP on the progress of agent of change and the next steps for venues, and headline sponsor TicketWeb presenting facts and figures from the frontline.
Returning for 2018 is Sandbox, the meeting space for agents and venues, and the MVT team will be at hand to offer advise on licensing, planning, rates and legal issues.
“Venues Day is the key moment in the calendar when the music industry can hear directly from the venues under threat”
“The ongoing crisis in the grassroots music venues sector shows no signs of abating, with three new venues, Sticky Mike’s, Talking Heads and Marshall Rooms, forced to announce closures this week,” says MVT.
“Venues Day, now in its fifth year, is the key moment in the calendar when the music industry can hear directly from these venues under threat about what needs to change, and what steps need to be taken to protect, secure and improve the sector.”
The event kicks off with a panel presented by BBC DJ Steve Lamacq, ‘The Magnificent Seven: Anniversaries, Celebrations and Survival Stories’, celebrating venues that have fought on against the threat of closure.
For full details, visit the MVT website.
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