The music tourism market was valued at $96.78 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $267.85 billion by 2030, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 18.80%. Major tours, festivals, and increasing demand for live music make music tourism one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry. But which cities are the best for music lovers to visit? best cities for music lovers

To help music lovers live out their passion, the experts at SeatPick have collated data to uncover the best cities for music lovers globally. They have analysed factors such as the number of concerts, homegrown talent, music businesses, and venues to reveal each city’s overall music score. Expert comment has also been provided by Gilad Zilberman, spokesperson from SeatPick.

The top 10 cities for music lovers to visit globally

*The full data set is available to view here.

London has come out on top as the best city for music lovers globally, with an overall music score of 9.67/10. London hosts the second highest number of homegrown artists in the top 10 (3,042), only losing out to New York (3,219).

Just behind London in second place is Berlin, with an overall music score of 9.55/10. Although Berlin has more venues and a busier schedule of concerts and festivals compared to London, its lower output of homegrown artists (530) keeps it in the number two spot overall.

Chicago ranks third, with an overall music score of 9.44/10. Hosting an impressive 1,861 homegrown artists and over a thousand concerts, Chicago has cemented its place within the ranking as a great city for music fans.

Vienna takes the fourth spot, boasting an overall music score of 9.35/10. The city hosts slightly more concerts than Chicago (1,166), as well as more festivals (63). However, Vienna has considerably fewer homegrown artists to its name, 401, compared to that of Chicago.

In fifth place, Nashville scores 9.19/10 on the overall music score. Widely recognised as the Country Music Capital of the World, Nashville is home to the second highest number of music businesses in the top 10 (344). However, it finds itself in the lower half of the top 10 for concerts, with just 890.

Gilad Zilberman, CEO of SeatPick provides expert insight into the growth of the music scene in recent years, and explores the data findings:

“Recent reports show that live music ticket sales are forecast to continuously increase until 2029, by 34 percent. Music ticket sales are therefore a driving force in the growth of the music industry and are expected to continue to be highly in demand. For this reason, concerts, festivals, and venues are crucial to each city’s music scene and its ability to thrive and provide the highly demanded entertainment that the music industry offers.

“Cities that have a larger number of music businesses are key in creating the perfect city for music fans, as this impacts the city’s cultural, economic, and social vibrancy. A thriving music scene within a city means it can provide more artistic expression, support a wider range of genres, and enrich the cultural landscape, as well as attract creative talent.

“Unsurprisingly, London dominates in the homegrown artists category. This is a crucial metric in creating a vibrant music scene within a city, as it boosts the city’s cultural identity, and creates a sense of community, with local artists contributing to the creative atmosphere of the city. It is highly likely that the music industry will only continue to grow, and there are many cities both in the UK and globally, that music fans can thrive in.”

Final thoughts about the best cities for music lovers

The rise of music tourism is more than a trend—it’s a reflection of how deeply live music shapes cultural identity and travel decisions. For cities, investing in music infrastructure isn’t just good for artists or fans—it fuels local economies, inspires creativity, and strengthens global appeal. As demand for live experiences grows, cities that embrace their music scene will not only top rankings like this one but also become cultural powerhouses that define the sound of the future.

Methodology:
SeatPick ranked cities for music lovers by analyzing concerts, festivals, venues (from Songkick), homegrown artists (from AllMusic), and music retail (via Yelp and OpenStreetMap). Metrics were weighted and normalized to create a composite score. Cities without upcoming events were excluded. Data was collected in May 2025. Retail data had a lower weight due to listing limits and urban concentration.