DF Concerts summer events generate 164.5million for Scottish economy
DF Concerts has today announced that its programme of summer 2025 live music events generated £164.6 million in total economic impact for Scotland.
Article Source: DF Concerts & Events
Last Updated: 16 January 2026 12:49
Image Credit: Hope Holmes
DF Concerts has today announced that its programme of summer 2025 live music events generated £164.6 million in total economic impact for Scotland, underlining the significant role major concerts and festivals play in supporting the country’s tourism, transport and hospitality sectors, and reinforcing Scotland’s reputation as one of Europe’s leading destinations for live music.
Between June and August 2025, DF Concerts delivered 17 major concerts and festivals show days at venues including Bellahouston Park, Hampden Stadium, Murrayfield Stadium, Glasgow Green and the Royal Highland Centre. In total, 607,632 fans attended the events, generating £113.8 million in direct visitor spend and an average economic impact of £232 per ticket.
The scale of the summer programme delivered clear benefits for Scotland’s visitor economy, with £11.12 million spent on accommodation, supporting hotels and short-stay providers across Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding areas. A further £15.25 million was spent on food and drink, providing a significant boost for nightclubs, restaurants, bars and hospitality during the peak summer period. The events also generated £13.26 million in transport spend, demonstrating the crucial role of rail, train, subway, bus, coach and taxi services in enabling large-scale live events and supporting Scotland’s transport infrastructure.
Beyond direct visitor spending, DF Concerts’ summer events created substantial value for the wider economy, with £50.68 million in indirect expenditure flowing through the supply chain. This supported jobs and businesses across event production, staging, logistics, security, technical services and local suppliers, many of which are based in Scotland.
One event which delivered particularly strong economic returns, was Oasis’ three sold-out shows at Murrayfield Stadium, attracting more than 201,000 fans and generated £67.1 million in economic impact.
Bellahouston Park once again proved to be a vital outdoor venue for Glasgow, hosting Punk All Dayer, Sting, Simple Minds and Stereophonics, which together generated more than £12 million in economic impact. The Royal Highland Centre also played a key role in the summer programme, with shows from Sam Fender and two nights of Chappell Roan contributing a combined £19.1 million, reinforcing the venue’s growing importance to Scotland’s live music and events landscape. TRNSMT Festival, held over three days at Glasgow Green contributed £16.6 million to the local economy.
As well as delivering cultural value and world-class live experiences, DF Concerts’ summer events continue to attract visitors from across the UK and beyond, encouraging overnight stays, increasing transport usage and supporting thousands of jobs across tourism and hospitality.
DF Concerts will continue to work closely with local authorities, transport partners and communities to deliver safe, sustainable and economically impactful events that bring lasting benefits to cities across Scotland and life-affirming moments for music fans.
CEO of DF Concerts & Events, Geoff Ellis said: “These figures demonstrate just how important live music is to Scotland’s economy. Our summer events bring hundreds of thousands of people into cities across the country, supporting hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, bars and shops, while also driving significant use of public transport and local services. Beyond the headline numbers, these shows sustain jobs, support local supply chains and help showcase Scotland as a world-class destination for live music. We’re proud to work closely with artists, partners, venues and local authorities to deliver events that have a lasting positive impact for communities as well as unforgettable experiences for fans.”
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