REGIONAL PROFILES
UK & IRELAND POPULATION: 60.4m (UK); 4.9m (IE) INTERNET USERS: 59m (UK); 3.9m (IE) GDP/CAPITA: €37,900 (UK); €61,900 (IE) ACTIVE SMARTPHONES: 80.3m (UK); 4.9m (IE)
The impact of the terrorist attack on Manchester Arena was felt around the world, but nowhere as keenly as in the UK and Ireland. For the close-knit arenas business, the feeling of empathy and sadness was palpable. Many of our interviews for this report took place before the attack, but all those that happened subsequently were extremely shocked and upset at what had happened. As an industry we feel a powerful sense of solidarity and deep sympathy for all those affected. You can read more about how the industry is responding to security matters in the dedicated feature on page 6.
A
s one of the most popular touring markets in the world, the UK and Ireland enjoys an enviable position in Europe. This is the home of some of the most famous arenas in the world (“hello Wembley!”) and the top ticket-selling arena in the world (The O2); a testament to the enthusiasm with which people here approach live entertainment. But a competitive market, high ticket prices, and
REGIONAL MAP n = UK & Ireland
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the uncertainties of Brexit looming, mean it’s not always plain sailing. Ticket prices here are the second highest of all those we surveyed. The arenas sold 11,072,886 tickets worth almost €555million.
Attendance
Music rules the roost as far as events go in the UK and Ireland, making up 53% of performances. The family category is the second largest at 25% of shows, while sport makes up 15%. Only a handful of comedy, dance and miscellaneous shows take place. After a 4% fall in the total number of events in 2015, 2016 continued in that vein with a 6% drop in the number of events across all NAA members. Average attendance also fell to 5,412 – a drop of 7% compared to 2015. The NEC Group operates Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena (cap. 15,800) and Genting Arena (13,928), as well as the National Exhibition Centre and the International Convention Centre. Arenas general manager Guy Dunstan says the venues’ performance in 2016 mirrored the national picture. “The number of shows and attendance was slightly down, although we did see an increase in the number of concerts. “However, 2017 looks fantastic in terms of the number of shows: concerts are looking really buoyant, and comedy is back in a big way.” Despite the fall in attendance, this is still a busy market, as John Drury, general manager of the globally renowned SSE Arena Wembley (12,000) remarks: “The market here has been strong for years and is well established. American artists also no doubt consider a European tour to be incomplete without UK and Irish dates, whereas they can sometimes bypass other countries.” And at the world’s top-ticket-selling arena, London’s The O2 (20,000-capacity), general manager John Langford says: “Content is the foundation of our business and 2017 certainly appears to be a healthy arena touring year. The early indication is that 2018 will be just as strong in terms of the content mix and number of tours.” Recent shows at The SSE Arena Belfast (15,000) include Jason Derulo, Slipknot, Dynamo, Muse, Little Mix, Status Quo and Biffy Clyro. CEO Neil Walker says 2016 was a successful year,