With live music currently on a roll amid Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominating the 2024 live music scene and the highly anticipated Oasis reunion set for 2025, Transpennine Express has revealed new research into the top UK desinations based on factors such as accessibility, enjoyability, popularity and affordability.
According to TransPennine Express, the trend of ‘gig-tripping’ – planning a short trip or holiday around a concert – has become the ultimate way to experience live performances. But, with artists often scheduling gigs across the country, how do you decide where to go?
To achieve this, the company has created an index scoring fifty of the UK’s largest towns and cities out of 100 on rankings suitable for those seeking live music as part of a vacation.
Leeds came out top as the UK’s ultimate gig destination thanks to its live music scene – boasting 53 venues with 508 events scheduled over the next year, and over 12K posts on Instagram for #Leedsgigs. The city also wins when it comes to affordability for things such as hotel rooms, costing £101 per night on average. In addition, nearby Halifax boasts a booming gig scene thanks to its sought-after open-air venue, the former cloth market and architectural delight – the Piece Hall.
The 10 best gig-tripping destinations in the UK have been ranked as:
Leeds – 74.94
Manchester – 74.19
Glasgow – 73.45
Cardiff – 73.20
Liverpool – 71.22
Birmingham – 70.47
Nottingham – 69.48
Bristol – 67.00
Sheffield – 65.76
Newcastle – 65.01
TransPennine Express has also studied Google searches over the last 12 months, along with artist mentions on TikTok and Instagram, to uncover which artists will be next to drive a flurry of travel to see them. Oasis is – as expected – set to lead the gig-tripping phenomenon over the next year. This is down to the 274K searches for tickets since their recent reunion tour announcement. Sabrina Carpenter comes in second with 124K searches, and Billie Eilish takes third position (115K searches).
Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience & Transformation Director for TransPennine Express, comments: ‘The North boasts a rich musical legacy, being the birthplace of legendary bands like Oasis and The Beatles. We’re proud to see it come out on top as a hotspot for some of the UK’s top gig destinations.
Recent tours, such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, have significantly boosted local businesses near the venues, further cementing the North and Scotland’s status as vibrant hubs for live music.
At TransPennine Express, we’re proud to offer extra services around major tour dates, as it’s really important that we support our customers heading home from concerts.’
