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- Millions have enjoyed gigs in London this summer as the capital’s stadiums, arenas and parks have hosted some of the world’s biggest stars, including Ariana Grande concluding her Eternal Sunshine tour at The O2 last week and Jay-Z performing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the weekend
- Wembley Stadium experienced its biggest ever summer of music with Harry Styles setting a new record for performances, while The O2 had its busiest ever August
- London’s incredible music industry gets bigger each year – in 2025 it attracted 9.1m visitors, bringing in £3.4bn in revenue to the capital, an increase of more than 27 per cent
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today celebrated London’s position as the music capital of the world after millions of people gathered together in the capital’s stadiums, parks and grassroots music venues for a record-breaking summer.
Music fans from all over the world travelled to London to enjoy some of the world’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z performing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the weekend, Harry Styles’s record 12-date run at Wembley Stadium, Ariana Grande’s 10 night residency at The O2, and Bad Bunny at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This has provided a huge boost to the capital’s economy, with the impact of London’s incredible music industry getting bigger every year. Last year, London’s music scene attracted 9.1m visitors across the year, bringing in £3.4bn in revenue to the capital – an increase of more than 27 per cent. While it has been predicted that Harry Styles’s record run at Wembley Stadium would inject £1.1 billion into the economy alone.
The incredible record-breaking summer has included
- Wembley Stadium welcoming more than 2.5m fans to a record 34 concert season, including the record-breaking 12 nights from Harry Styles, The Weeknd playing more times in London that any other city in the world and three nights from Luke Combs, which was the biggest country music event in UK history.
- The O2 enjoying its busiest August ever with 16 sell-out shows, Ariana Grande performing 10 times across the summer – her only gigs outside of North America this year and the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine tour – with girl group Katseye playing their first UK concerts on Thursday (3rd) and Friday (4th).
- Tottenham Stadium welcoming more than 500,000 fans, including BTS breaking the stadium’s attendance record with 125,923 attending two nights, Bad Bunny performing the biggest Latin American concerts in British history, and Jay-Z performing his highest number of gigs outside of New York.
- London Stadium hosting more than 350,000 fans for Take That and Metallica in the space of eight days.
- Country star Garth Brooks performing his first UK show in nearly 30 years as part of the BST Hyde Park programme.
- Lily Allen and Little Simz among the headliners as more than 140,000 people attended Brockwell Live events across two weekends.
- Grace Jones and Lenny Kravitz among those helping to attract more than 100,000 to the nine-night first ever Palace Bowl Presents series.
- More than 30,000 at Burgess Park for Boiler Room London weekend featuring Basement Jaxx (Live), and seven nights at Alexandra Palace’s outdoor summer season that included more than 28,000 people attending two nights of The Streets.
- Damage headlining the capital’s Black On The Square event on Saturday (5th) afternoon, where Jay-Z hosted a pop-up art installation.
There is still more to come in September with global Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh at Wembley Stadium, pop giants BIGBANG at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the Blue Note jazz club due to open its first UK venue in Covent Garden, while The O2 and the capital’s wide-range of indoor music venues have a busy autumn and winter programme planned.
This is alongside London’s 189 incredible grassroots music venues that continue to provide a stage for a whole variety of music styles across the capital all year round. This year the Music Venue Trust has reported a 2.3 per cent increase in UK audience numbers compared with 2025, when there was a similar rise.
The Mayor is proud to continue to champion all aspects of the capital’s music scene and hospitality industry. Earlier this year, Sadiq provided nearly £500,000 to boroughs to bring al fresco dining, events and extended opening hours to the capital’s streets throughout the summer and into autumn. He is also determined to use his new strategic licensing powers from Government – the first for a UK Mayor – to breathe new life into the capital’s night-time economy. Last year he created the first ever special Grassroots Music Tube Map, which celebrated all aspects of the capital’s music scene and connected Londoners and visitors with grassroots gigs.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It has been another incredible summer for our capital’s music scene, showing once again why we are the best in the world. With record-breaking stadium runs, parks and arenas welcoming tens of thousands of people a night and crowds filling up grassroots music-venues, this summer has had it all. I’m proud that no other city in the world can boast such an incredible line-up and it’s why our music industry’s impact on our economy continues to grow, as we build a better London for everyone.”
UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: "London has once again proved its status as one of the most exciting and vibrant cities for music on earth. UK Music data revealed that in 2025, a record 24.7 million music tourists flocked to concerts and festivals in the UK, spending an all-time high of £11.2 billion and supporting 74,000 full-time equivalent jobs along the way. After last year's barnstorming summer of shows from the likes of Oasis, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar, 2026 has served up another incredible and eclectic array of performances delighting fans from across the globe. From Harry Styles, Lily Allen, and Olivia Dean to BTS, Kasabian, Gorillaz and The Weeknd, London has once again hosted some of the biggest and best acts in the world. And the global appeal of our amazing capital looks set to continue, with the legendary Blue Note jazz club opening its first UK venue in Covent Garden and the Government's Music Plan pledging to invest in the future of our sector and ensure its world leading status for generations to come."
Alex Hill, President and CEO, AEG International said: “This autumn, The O2’s programme reflects the diversity and international appeal of London’s entertainment scene. This year, international artists have accounted for 72 per cent of our music shows, up from 54 per cent in 2022, with global acts including The Strokes, Noah Kahan, Asake, Hatsune Miku, Fally Ipupa and Karun Aujla taking to our stage, highlighting London’s continued strength as a destination for culture and live events. Alongside music, we’re delighted to welcome the Laver Cup back to The O2, as well as unique experiences including our Halloween takeover with Duran Duran and the first Pokémon Night Out EDM concert. As we look towards the end of the year, we’re proud to play our part in supporting London’s vibrant cultural offer, bringing world-class artists, sporting events and experiences to audiences in the capital and attracting visitors from across the UK and around the world.”
Mark Lynch, Wembley Stadium Director, said: “This has been a landmark summer for live music in London, and we’re proud that Wembley Stadium has played a key role in the capital’s success. With a record 34 concerts - our biggest-ever summer of music - we’ve welcomed over 2.5 million fans through our doors for an extraordinary programme featuring some of the world’s biggest artists. From Harry Styles’ record-breaking residency and major runs from Bruno Mars and The Weeknd, to country superstar Luke Combs and Punjabi music icon Diljit Dosanjh, the scale and diversity of this year’s line-up have been unlike anything we’ve hosted before. “Our record-breaking summer has created a ripple effect across London, drawing fans from across the UK and around the world and delivering a significant boost to hotels, restaurants, pubs, transport and businesses across the capital – demonstrating the powerful contribution live music can make to London’s economy.”
Denis Desmond, Chairman, Live Nation UK & Ireland, said: “It has been a wonderful summer of live music in London, with a record-breaking 3.6 million fans attending Live Nation shows, from grassroots venues to Wembley Stadium. Harry Styles’ record-breaking run, together with shows from Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Jay-Z, Bon Jovi, Diljit Dosanjh, Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande and many others, has helped make this Live Nation's highest-selling summer of London shows, while making a huge contribution to employment, hospitality and the wider economy. Artists have produced amazing performances, giving fans of all ages the opportunity to meet like-minded people, form friendships and make lifelong memories through the live experience. We are looking forward to a great indoor season, and to doing it all again in summer 2027.”
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “Our capital’s music scene has served up something for every taste this summer. Across London music fans have taken in everything from international artists selling out stadiums to the next big star performing on one of our legendary grassroots music venues for the first ever time. This summer has truly illustrated music’s incredible power to bring people together and why there is no better place to enjoy it that in London.”
Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: "London has once again proved itself as the music capital of the world, delivering enormous value for the city and its hospitality sector. Our pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels always see a huge boost when music-goers, from both at home and abroad, come to see the world-famous artists choosing London as one of the homes for their tour."
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