By Justin Reid, Senior Director of Global Partnerships Solutions, Tripadvisor
Music tourism has become a booming market. What was once a niche interest has transformed into one of the most powerful drivers in global travel. Travellers aren’t just looking for new destinations, they’re building entire trips around the thrill of live music. In 2025, 55% of travellers planned to take trips for festivals and gigs, this figure jumps to 75% among Gen Z.
Music tourism isn’t just a cultural trend – it’s an economic force. It’s reshaping travel and changing the ways consumers are choosing to spend their money. The market valuation for this type of travel is expected to hit $13.8 billion by 2032 – over double the amount music tourism generated in 2023 – highlighting just how much of an opportunity there is for brands to benefit.
From momentous sold-out tours – such as the Oasis reunion, Taylor Swift’s Eras, or Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Cowboy Carter – to major UK festivals, like Glastonbury or Reading and Leeds, music is fueling huge spikes in hotel bookings, retail sales, and brand engagement.
On a musical adventure
The purchases don’t stop at tickets or hotels. Music tourists are seeking full experiences. The focus may be on the music, but they’re combining that with fashion, dining, local activities, and cultural exploration.
Each engagement leading up to and during a festival presents micro retail and marketing opportunities for brands.
Around the Eras Tour, travel demand per stop increased 117% year-on-year, with the average nightly hotel spend up by 68% and booking lead times almost doubled. Meanwhile, festivals, such as Coachella, Stagecoach, and Lollapalooza, generate travel demand increases of +59% to +225%.
Music tourism is particularly thriving among Gen Z and Millennials. Of Gen Z travellers, 45% include music in their travel budgets, with 39% prioritising music experiences during travel. Their older Millennial counterparts put 44% of their budgets into music experiences, and 40% prioritise music experiences.
Notably, travellers aren’t just willing to stretch their travel budgets for music experiences – they’re also willing to travel far and wide. A third of concert goers are willing to travel over 100 miles for a show, while 13% of Gen Z music tourists are happy to travel more than 500 miles to see their favourite artists perform live.
The opportunity to tap into this movement isn’t limited to brands located near venues. Any brand, wherever they are, can benefit by aligning with music tourism. Yet, many still overlook it, focusing narrowly on summer and winter holiday peaks. In doing so, they miss valuable music-driven travel moments – occasions full of excitement and positivity – where brands can build meaningful, long-lasting loyalty with consumers.
The sound of music
Music’s growing influence on travel can also be seen away from the flashing festival lights. A staggering 92% of tourists listen to music while travelling. This breaks down into 75% listening to music on planes or trains, and 84% doing so on road trips. This also applies to planning and booking, with rates of 35% and 37%, respectively.
In general, Tripadvisor’s users are highly music-engaged, with the vast majority (85%) listening to music on a weekly basis. These users are also 69% more likely to buy concert tickets and 39% more likely to attend new music events.
This increasing consumption has led to tourists seeking more music-based experiences within their “traditional” holiday escapes. For instance, in-destination searches for “live music,” “karaoke bars,” “jazz bars,” and “piano bars” have grown significantly on Tripadvisor in recent years.
These searches are particularly prominent in places such as Glasgow, Bristol, London and, unsurprisingly, Nashville and Tokyo. Music travellers are over-indexing for spending on alcohol, grooming, fashion, and fast food, as well as frequently using digital payment options such as Apple Pay and Klarna in these locations.
The evidence of music’s intrinsic link to so many other opportunities for brands – both endemic and otherwise – is clear. Even away from gigs and festivals, there are several ways brands can engage with music lovers throughout the year, rather than focusing solely on the traditionally big sales periods.
A concert connection
The live music industry has had a tough few years, with hundreds of festivals cancelled and venues shut. However, the rise of the music tourist has meant that, even in trying economic times, the live elements of the music industry are booming.
As such, brands have the perfect opportunity to harness the power of music, tagging onto the big highlights throughout the year. Experiences are now such an important part of travelling, and music gigs and festivals are just another facet of that.
Brands can leverage the surge in music tourism to reach these experience-driven travellers at moments of genuine emotion and intent, creating deeper connections with these consumers by tapping into occasions away from the traditional travel peaks.
*Source: Tripadvisor Spring Travel Beats Report 02/2025, N=2,745; AU, FR, JP, SG, UK, US
