City benefits from live music to the tune of £140m
A NEW report published today reveals the £140m contribution of both live music and music tourism to Manchester’s local economy.
The study by UK Music shows that in 2015, the total audience for live music events in the city was 1.9 million.
Manchester was visited by 697,000 music tourists attending lives concerts or a music festival during the period. The visitors generated £140m towards the local economy and help to sustain 1,583 full-time jobs in the city.
The report Wish You Were Here 2016 clearly shows the value of live music and music tourism to Manchester through live concerts and events like Parklife and the Manchester International Festival and the huge boost that it continues to bring to the area both culturally and economically.
Jeff Smith MP for Manchester Withington said: “From hosting the Sex Pistols in the Lesser Free Trade Hall in 1976 to New Order’s iconic shows at the Hacienda, Manchester has always been at the heart of British music culture.
“Live music is a source of great enjoyment, but also a source of jobs, growth and investment. As a former DJ and events promoter, I’m particularly pleased to see UK Music’s latest report recognising the huge impact of the live music industry on our economy and our livelihoods.”
Jo Dipple, UK Music chief executive said: “The appetite for live music has continued to grow. Last year overseas music tourism increased by 16%, whilst British music events were attended by a staggering 27.7 million people in 2015. What this report shows, unequivocally, is the economic value of live music to communities, cities and regions.”
