Gig tripping is set to become a popular travel trend for 2024. The term refers to people travelling to new destinations to watch live music, at gigs, bars or festivals. According to UK Music, live music attracted 14.4 million tourists in 2022.
Many use this trend as an excuse to not only see their favourite act, but to also immerse themselves in the musical culture and local sights of the city.
Some of the biggest superstars in the world, including Taylor Swift and Ne-Yo have announced international tours for 2024. With this in mind, a new study has revealed the best cities in the world to visit to watch live music based on five factors:
- Number of live music bars
- Number of music arenas
- Number of festivals
- Number of concerts/gigs
- Average hotel price ($)
The Top 10 Cities To Watch Live Music In The World
| Rank | Location | No of Live Music Bars per 100,000 | No of Music Arenas per 100,000 | No of Festivals per 100,000 | No of Gigs/Concerts per 100,000 |
| 1 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 7.02 | 4.31 | 0.32 | 61.94 |
| 2 | Lyon, France | 15.68 | 3.25 | 0.76 | 9.94 |
| 3 | Zurich, Switzerland | 17.88 | 3.90 | 0.23 | 29.79 |
| 4 | Oslo, Norway | 5.64 | 0.66 | 0.56 | 25.56 |
| 5 | Marseille, France | 8.61 | 1.72 | 0.34 | 3.79 |
| 6 | Dublin, Ireland | 10.14 | 1.11 | 0.09 | 30.43 |
| 7 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 2.33 | 1.10 | 1.03 | 14.46 |
| 8 | Copenhagen, Denmark | 3.00 | 2.56 | 0.29 | 15.96 |
| 9 | Helsinki, Finland | 4.02 | 0.87 | 0.39 | 1.73 |
| 10 | Zagreb, Croatia | 7.78 | 0.62 | 0.12 | 0.74 |
*The table shows four factors. For the full five factors, please ask.
Glasgow Is The Best City To Visit In The World For Live Music
Glasgow is home to plenty of venues offering live music from various genres. Boasting 7.02 live music bars, ranking number one overall with 4.31 music arenas and an impressive 61.94 gigs per 100,00 people, it’s no surprise that the city has been hailed the best in the world for gig tripping.
With the spotlight on festivals, Pride Glasgow is a two-day weekend celebrating LGBTQ+ equality with a parade, and live music.
The famous OVO Hydro attracts a crowd, with international artists such as Nicki Minaj and Liam Gallagher taking the stage in 2024. With an average hotel price of only $153, the city is attractive to tourists worldwide.
France Lands In The Top 5 Twice For Gig Tripping Locations
Dominating the top 5 are two cities in France; Lyon and Marseille.
Lyon has the pick of music bars, arenas and festivals, coming in second for the number of live music bars (15.68 per 100,000). Jazz and Blues bar La Clef de Voute is a top rated choice.
With 3.79 gigs per 100,000 people, Marseille is home to the iconic Orange Velodrome hosting Bruce Springsteen for one night in May 2024.
USA Takes Six Places On The Overall Top 40 Gig Tripping Rankings
| Ranking | Global ranking | City | No of Live Music Bars | No of Music Arenas | No of Festivals | No of Gigs/Concerts |
| 1 | 29 | Houston, United States | 0.99 | 0.51 | 0.02 | 3.79 |
| 2 | 32 | Dallas, United States | 1.27 | 0.65 | 0.02 | 5.03 |
| 3 | 33 | Chicago, United States | 1.01 | 0.36 | 0.08 | 2.14 |
| 4 | 37 | San Diego, United States | 1.88 | 1.10 | 0.13 | 6.48 |
| 5 | 38 | New York, United States | 0.51 | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.78 |
| 6 | 40 | Los Angeles, United States | 0.80 | 0.25 | 0.01 | 1.11 |
Looking at the overall global ranking, the USA dominates with six states in the top 40 cities for gig tripping. For the USA only, San Diego has the highest number of live music bars at 1.88 per 100,000 people, whereas Dallas comes in close second with number of gigs, hosting Noah Kahan in June 2024 (5.03 per 100,000).
If you’d like to find out more about the best cities to visit to watch live music in the world, please visit the blog- https://www.planetcruise.com/en/the-hottest-gig-tripping-destinations-for-2024
