Gig Trip Value Methodology & Sources
Superbreak created a Gig Trip Value to estimate the direct non-ticket spending generated by major UK concert tours.
While ticket sales are often reported publicly, concerts also generate significant visitor spending beyond the venue itself. Fans frequently book accommodation, travel by rail or car, visit restaurants and bars, use local transport and extend their trip into an overnight stay.
Gig Trip Value estimates the scale of this visitor economy and highlights how major tours can influence tourism demand across Britain.
What Is Gig Trip Value?
Gig Trip Value is Superbreak's estimate of the direct non-ticket spending generated by concert attendees.
The metric measures spending that takes place because a concert is happening, but which occurs outside the ticket purchase itself.
Included Spending Categories
- Hotel accommodation
- Rail and road travel
- Food and drink
- Local transport
- Parking
- Merchandise
- Pre-show spending
- Post-show spending
- Tourism activity by overnight visitors
Excluded Spending Categories
- Concert tickets
- Economic multipliers
- Artist-specific fashion purchases
- Indirect economic impacts
Research Methodology
The sections below explain how artists, venues, events and spending assumptions were selected and modelled.
Research Scope
Eligible Artists and Tours
The research includes major artists performing standalone UK headline concerts during 2026.
The core dataset includes:
- Arena tours
- Stadium tours
- Major outdoor headline concerts
Excluded Events
The following event types were excluded:
- Festivals
- Club nights
- Tribute acts
- Theatre residencies
- Comedy events
- Sporting events
- Charity events
- Private events
Geographic Coverage
The analysis covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Republic of Ireland dates were recorded separately for context but do not contribute to Gig Trip Value calculations.
London is defined as Greater London throughout the study.
Data Collection Process
Artist Longlist
The artist longlist was created using:
- Official artist websites
- Venue calendars
- Promoter listings
- Ticketing platforms
- Music and entertainment media
Each tour date was verified using at least one reliable source. For major artists, multiple sources were used where available.
Source Hierarchy
| Priority | Source Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Official artist tour pages |
| 2 | Venue event calendars |
| 3 | Promoter and ticketing platforms |
| 4 | Reputable entertainment media |
Cancelled events were excluded. Rescheduled events were included only where a confirmed replacement date was publicly available.
Venue Capacity Methodology
Venue capacities were modelled using publicly available capacity information.
Where available, event-specific capacities were used. Otherwise, published maximum concert capacities were used as a proxy.
Actual attendance may vary depending on:
- Stage layout
- Seating configuration
- Production requirements
- Standing versus seated formats
Attendance Assumptions
Attendance was estimated using a standard occupancy model.
Estimated Attendance = Venue Capacity × 90%
The 90% assumption was applied consistently across all eligible events to allow like-for-like comparisons between artists, venues and cities.
Visitor Mix Assumptions
Concert audiences were divided into three attendee groups.
| Attendee Type | Share |
|---|---|
| Local Visitors | 60% |
| Day-Trip Visitors | 25% |
| Overnight Visitors | 15% |
These assumptions are informed by UK Music's music tourism methodology and AEG Europe research into live-music travel behaviour.
How Gig Trip Value Is Calculated
Gig Trip Value is calculated using:
Estimated Attendance × Visitor Mix × Spending Categories
| Visitor Type | Included Spend |
|---|---|
| Local Visitors | Local transport, parking, food and drink, merchandise, pre-show spending and post-show spending. |
| Day Visitors | Intercity travel, local transport, food and drink, merchandise, pre-show spending and post-show spending. |
| Overnight Visitors | Accommodation, intercity travel, local transport, food and drink, merchandise, pre-show spending, post-show spending and next-day tourism activity. |
Regional Gig Trip Value
Regional Gig Trip Value measures the estimated visitor spending generated outside Greater London.
This allows comparison between London-only tours, London-centric tours and nationally distributed tours, and highlights where tourism benefits are being spread across Britain.
Ranking Definitions
View Ranking Definitions
Gig Trip Value: Estimated non-ticket visitor spending generated by eligible concert dates.
Regional Gig Trip Value: Estimated visitor spending generated outside Greater London.
Regional Share: Regional Gig Trip Value divided by total Gig Trip Value.
Stayover Score: Estimated hotel room nights generated by an artist's tour.
London-Only Tour: All eligible UK dates are located within Greater London.
London-Centric Tour: More than 50% of Gig Trip Value is generated within Greater London.
Highly London-Centric Tour: More than 75% of Gig Trip Value is generated within Greater London.
Nationally Distributed Tour: Tours performing in multiple UK cities with a significant share of spending generated outside London.
What-If Scenario Modelling
The study also models hypothetical additional regional concert dates.
These scenarios estimate the additional visitor spending that could be generated if a major artist added one extra eligible regional performance.
Priority cities include Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
These scenarios are illustrative only and are not predictions or confirmed tour plans.
Data Sources
The research draws on a combination of publicly available sources.
Tour Information
- Official artist websites
- Venue calendars
- Promoter listings
- Ticketing platforms
Venue Information
- Official venue websites
- Venue technical specifications
- Capacity references
Travel & Tourism
- UK Music
- AEG Europe
- VisitBritain
- VisitEngland
- Destination marketing organisations
- Tourism boards
Hospitality
- Hotel price snapshots
- Hospitality benchmarks
- Tourism spend benchmarks
- Travel cost references
Limitations & Caveats
Gig Trip Value is a modelled estimate and should not be interpreted as an audited economic-impact assessment.
The analysis:
- Uses venue-capacity proxies
- Uses a standard 90% attendance assumption
- Uses visitor-spending assumptions
- Excludes ticket sales
- Excludes wider economic multipliers
Actual visitor behaviour will vary by artist, city, venue, audience profile and travel conditions.
All figures should be treated as indicative estimates rather than exact measurements.
FAQs
Why does London dominate the rankings?
Many major artists included in the analysis perform either exclusively in London or primarily in London. Venues such as Wembley Stadium and The O2 Arena also host some of the UK's largest concert audiences.
Can journalists use this data?
Yes. Journalists, researchers and publishers may reference the findings.
Please credit Superbreak Analysis and link back to the main Gig Trip Value 2026 research page where possible.
Is this an economic-impact study?
No. Gig Trip Value is a visitor-spending model designed to estimate direct non-ticket spending associated with major concert tours.
How often is the research updated?
The analysis reflects publicly announced dates available at the time of research and may be updated as additional tours are announced.
Explore the Gig Trip Value 2026 Research
View the full rankings, artist data, city breakdowns and key findings from Superbreak's Gig Trip Value 2026 analysis.