London, Manchester and Glasgow are gig greats…
So far in 2025, the UK has been number 7 worldwide in music festival searches, and with many UK festivals rapidly approaching such as Reading & Leeds, Download, and Glastonbury taking place this weekend, the buzz around music is high. Major tours, festivals and increasing demand for live music make music tourism one of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry.
Gilad Zilberman CEO of SeatPick:
“Recent reports show that live music ticket sales are forecast to continuously increase until 2029, by 34 percent. Music ticket sales are therefore a driving force in the growth of the music industry, and are expected to continue to be highly in demand. For this reason, concerts, festivals, and venues are crucial to each city’s music scene and its ability to thrive and provide the highly demanded entertainment that the music industry offers.
“Cities which have a larger number of music businesses are key in creating the perfect city for music fans, as this impacts the city’s cultural, economic, and social vibrancy. A thriving music scene within a city means it can provide more artistic expression, support a wider range of genres, and enrich the cultural landscape, as well as attracting creative talent.”
But which cities are the best for music fans? To help music lovers live out their passion, the experts at SeatPick have collated data to uncover the best cities for music lovers in the UK. They have analysed factors such as the number of concerts, homegrown talents, music businesses, and the total number of music venues, to reveal each city’s overall music score.
Key Findings note that London is the best city for music lovers in the UK, dominating by a significant margin across most metrics – with an overall “music scene score” of 9.52/10 while Glasgow has a much better music scene than Edinburgh, hosting almost three times the number of concerts than its counterpart, securing third place.
Gilad Zilberman:
“Unsurprisingly, London dominates in the homegrown artists category. This is a crucial metric in creating a vibrant music scene within a city, as it boosts the city’s cultural identity, and creates a sense of community, with local artists contributing to the creative atmosphere of the city. It is highly likely that the music industry will only continue to grow, and there are many cities both in the UK and globally, that music fans can thrive in.”
The top 10 cities for music lovers in the UK
|
Rank
|
City
|
No. of Venues
|
No. of Concerts (2025-2026)
|
No. of Festivals (2025-2026)
|
No. of Homegrown Artists
|
No. of Music Businesses
|
Final Music Scene Score (/ 10)
|
|
1
|
London
|
199
|
1,734
|
44
|
3,042
|
324
|
9.52
|
|
2
|
Manchester
|
116
|
1,204
|
26
|
380
|
72
|
8.97
|
|
3
|
Glasgow
|
106
|
1,026
|
23
|
368
|
139
|
8.55
|
|
4
|
Bristol
|
107
|
790
|
23
|
198
|
157
|
8.40
|
|
5
|
Liverpool
|
76
|
368
|
17
|
344
|
87
|
7.06
|
|
6
|
Leeds
|
79
|
690
|
17
|
108
|
49
|
6.97
|
|
7
|
Oxford
|
40
|
174
|
49
|
95
|
364
|
6.92
|
|
8
|
Edinburgh
|
80
|
368
|
14
|
170
|
72
|
6.84
|
|
9
|
Brighton
|
66
|
690
|
17
|
169
|
36
|
6.80
|
|
10
|
Cardiff
|
58
|
404
|
7
|
89
|
59
|
5.90
|
London is the best city for music lovers in the UK, with an impressive overall music scene score of 9.52/10, dominating by a significant margin across most metrics. With 3,042 homegrown artists, nearly 1,800 concerts between 2025 and 2026, and 199 music venues, London is a city where music never dies. Whether it’s grassroots gigs in Camden or A-list performances at the O2, the capital proves why it’s a powerhouse for music not only in the UK, but across the world.
Coming in at second place with a music scene score of 8.97/10 is Manchester. Manchester remains one of the UK’s most iconic music cities and with 1,204 concerts between 2025-2026, 116 live music venues and 380 homegrown acts, the city’s live music offering is as strong as ever. 2025 is shaping up to be a historic year for Manchester – with Oasis reuniting for the first time in over a decade, with a massive comeback show at Heaton Park – the very spot where they played their last hometown gig in 2009.
In Scotland, Glasgow has a much better music scene than Edinburgh, taking third place with an overall music scene score of 8.55/10. Glasgow is set to host almost three times the number of concerts between 2025 – 2026 than Edinburgh, with icons such as Kylie Minogue (6th June) and Pulp (7th June) playing just one day apart! Not only that, but Glasgow is home to over double the amount of homegrown artists (368), with legends such as Gerry Cinnamon and Franz Ferdinand hailing from there.
Bristol takes the fourth spot, having a final music scene score of 8.40/10. The city is known as a thriving hub for the arts and culture, and is home to 107 venues and an impressive 790 concerts, which gives it its deserved spot within the top five.
In fifth, Liverpool, the home of music icons The Beatles, has an overall music scene score of 7.06/10. The city is home to a respectable 344 homegrown artists, however, has a slightly lower number of venues (76), and festivals (17).
