Live music fans in Wales are set for a bumper summer in 2024, with big name acts such as Taylor Swift, Billy Joel and Sir Tom Jones among those slated to perform. The summer period is expected to generate significant income for the industry, with visitors spending around £218m attending gigs in Wales in 2022, according to industry figures.
Radio 1 presenter Sam MacGregor highlighted that there has been a historical tendency for UK and European tours to miss out Wales, but said that this perception was changing. MacGregor added that smaller or medium scale artists could perform, following in the footsteps of Taylor Swift, who is currently the biggest artist in the world.
In addition to large gigs at venues such as Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, other live music events taking place in Wales include this year’s International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Denbighshire. Sir Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Jess Glynne, Girls Aloud, New Order and the Manic Street Preachers are among those scheduled to play. However, Nick Saunders, director of events at Depot Live, which organises events at Cardiff Castle, questioned whether the city can continue to attract bigger gigs without significant infrastructure investment.
Industry data from UK Music suggests that in 2022, Wales hosted 510,000 music tourists, who spent £218m on attending live music events. Emily Cotterill, from FOR Cardiff, a group representing city centre businesses, welcomed the summer progamming and saw each event as an important opportunity to encourage visitors to return for future visits
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