Live Music

Baroness Gill Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Gill (Lab)]

My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on securing this debate and on his eloquent speech.

Live music is a defining strength of UK culture. Live music matters because it reflects the diversity of the UK, from grime, bhangra and indie to classical orchestras and global festival sounds. Events such as the BBC Proms, Glastonbury, and the Leeds, Reading and Wireless festivals and others showcase the richness, while local schools and community performances keep music venues accessible at every level. It is where, as we have heard, new artists break through and where established acts stay connected to audiences across generations.

It is also a massive contribution to our economy, as the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, has already outlined. In 2023, the UK live music industry contributed around £6 billion to the economy and attracted more than 23 million music tourists. The sector also sustains over 200,000 jobs, from performers to technicians to venue staff. According to a briefing from Live Nation, it welcomed 16 million fans to shows and festivals in more than 200 UK towns and cities across 750 venues just this year and generated an estimated £1.65 billion in additional consumer spending, including £1 billion for local economies.

However, as we have already heard, the sector is also facing challenges with AI, secondary ticketing, Brexit and visas for artists. In recent years, we have heard that AI has begun to reshape the music industry. It can generate songs, mimic voices and even simulate live-style performances without a human artist on stage, as again was highlighted earlier by the Musicians’ Union. While it is also used to support production, lighting and ticketing, its growing ability to replicate creativity is a serious concern: if music can be generated and performed without musicians, what happens to the uniqueness and value of live performance itself?