Britain in a ‘golden period’ of stay music:  Swifties fuelling a UK increase

The UK is in a ‘golden era’ of live music – in part thanks to international tourists flocking to see artists such as Taylor Swift.

That is according to Stephen Freeman, the man behind the food and drink at huge UK venues, including Wembley and Murrayfield stadiums.

‘The amount of tourism that is revolving around the event world now – whether it is international or home tourism – is huge,’ the boss of caterer Freemans Event Partners said.

At Taylor Swift’s three-night stint at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, four in ten card transactions were made by tourists.

Cash machine: At Taylor Swift’s three night stint at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, four in 10 of card transactions were from tourists

While the majority of guests are from within the UK, the business sees a large number attend from overseas, whether that’s from Europe, the US, or even further afield.

This summer has seen all types of music lovers visiting for extravaganza gigs, including concerts by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC at Wembley.

Gone are the days when rock bands would simply do an hour-and-a-half gig, Freeman says. This means big business for the UK events industry and the millions of people who work in it.

Freeman reckons a ‘significant amount more’ of artists will be performing mega shows, such as Swift’s three-hour long concerts, in the years to come.

‘Musicians want to enhance the public experience, taking almost residencies at venues for eight or ten nights at massive venues. The shows that they can put on now are huge,’  he says.

These mammoth shows make long journeys worth it, with many consumers still desperate to enjoy live music after years in lockdown.

In 2023, according to industry group UK Music, the number of music tourists attending live music events across the UK was 19.2m – up a third from 2022. There were just over 1m foreign tourists.

And £8billion was spent by those who travelled to see concerts such as Beyonce’s run of shows, part of her Renaissance World Tour, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This number is thought to have grown rapidly thanks to pop stars such as Swift, who will have performed 17 shows in the UK by the end of her record-breaking Eras Tour.

The whole economy stands to cash in on accommodation, transport and other costs. Although household bills ‘went through the roof’ after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, inflation has ‘tailored back’ meaning there are millions willing to fork out on experiences, Freeman says.

‘There is a large part of society with a significant amount of excess cash – and they are buying thousands and thousands of tickets.’

Serving up a fortune: Stephen Freeman is the man behind the food and drink at huge UK venues

It’s not just music. The growing popularity of Formula One and even American sports such as Major League Baseball are also prime examples of attempts to woo overseas consumers with cash to spend in the UK.

But Freeman said Labour must help venues to cash in on this lucrative opportunity.

‘We need to see an event world where the economy is being helped and driven, not hindered,’ he said.

Ministers could consider support measures such as tax cuts on food and drink served at events, he added. And they should introduce a specific qualification for the events sector, boosting productivity as talented staff would be more inclined to stay in the industry, Freeman believes.

Many hospitality businesses have struggled to recruit in the wake of the pandemic, just as consumers’ demand is ripe for the picking.

‘We hear lots of anecdotes that the hospitality industry and high street are struggling, and lots of it is. But it is rejuvenate-able,’ Freeman said.

He urged the Government to take the industry seriously by engaging with events businesses. ‘It is a massive employer in the UK.’

Freeman knows a thing or two about British homegrown success. His dad’s business has grown from one fish and chip van at Silverstone to one that looks after 15m sports and music fans at 400 events every year.

In financial terms, it went from making £8,000 in sales in 1975 to around £70million today.

Freeman adds: ‘We are in a golden era of the event world. How the Government supports the event world and hospitality industry into the next generation to keep it growing is huge.’