New research reveals why this Northern city needs to be your go-to for future gigs

With Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominating the 2024 live music scene and the highly anticipated Oasis reunion set for 2025, live music is truly having its moment. 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?

TransPennine Express has revealed new research to help you find the ultimate destination for your next gig. To do this, the train provider has created an index which scores fifty of the UK’s biggest towns and cities out of 100 based on their accessibility, enjoyability, popularity and affordability.

The 10 best gig-tripping destinations in the UK

1. Leeds – 74.94
2. Manchester – 74.19
3. Glasgow – 73.45
4. Cardiff – 73.20
5. Liverpool – 71.22
6. Birmingham – 70.47
7. Nottingham – 69.48
8. Bristol – 67.00
9. Sheffield – 65.76
10. Newcastle – 65.01

Leeds tops the rankings 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.

With many high-profile gigs scheduled for the rest of 2024 and into 2025, TransPennine Express has also uncovered which artists will be next to drive a flurry of travel to see them by analysing Google searches over the last 12 months, along with artist mentions on TikTok and Instagram. Unsurprisingly, it is predicted that Oasis are 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.”

The full study, including more information on the top three UK cities for gig-tripping – with recommendations and tips for planning your next gig trip – can be found onsite here: https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/explore-the-north-and-scotland/blog/2024/september/gig-tripping-destinations