Scottish city ranked among the best in the world for music fans above LA and Vegas
With a vibrant live scene and a reputation for producing some of the country's most iconic acts, this Scottish city achieved an impressive music score of 8.55 out of 10
With the 2025 festival season in full swing, including Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and Download all drawing huge crowds, new research has revealed which UK cities are leading the way for music lovers.
And Scotland has plenty to celebrate. A new study by ticket comparison site SeatPick has crowned Glasgow as the third-best music city in the UK, placing it well ahead of Edinburgh, which came in eighth.
The ranking, released this week, uses a comprehensive range of data including the number of live concerts, local artists, venues, and music-related businesses to calculate each city's overall music scene score.
With a vibrant live scene and a reputation for producing some of the country's most iconic acts, Glasgow achieved an impressive music score of 8.55 out of 10.
The city is on track to host nearly three times more concerts between 2025 and 2026 than Edinburgh, and boasts a wealth of homegrown talent including Gerry Cinnamon, Franz Ferdinand, and CHVRCHES.
International stars such as Kylie Minogue and Pulp performed in the city recently. In fact, Glasgow ranked eighth in the world, placing higher than major global music destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.
By contrast, Edinburgh, while still featuring in the UK top 10, placed lower with a music scene score of 6.84, ranking 25th globally. Despite its world-famous festivals and a growing creative scene, the Scottish capital lags behind in concert volume and homegrown artists compared to its west coast counterpart.
The top spot in the UK went, unsurprisingly, to London, with a dominant score of 9.52 out of 10.
The capital leads in nearly every metric, boasting 3,042 homegrown artists, almost 1,800 concerts over 2025 and 2026, and 199 music venues ranging from underground clubs to iconic arenas like The O2.
Manchester came in second with a score of 8.97, a reflection of the city's deep-rooted musical heritage and its ongoing influence.
This year, Manchester is generating fresh buzz thanks to the long-awaited Oasis reunion, set to take place at Heaton Park, their first hometown gig since 2009.
Bristol and Liverpool round out the UK top five, with scores of 8.40 and 7.06, respectively. Bristol continues to thrive as a hub of alternative culture, while Liverpool remains a city steeped in music history, most famously as the home of The Beatles.
According to Gilad Zilberman, CEO of SeatPick, the UK's live music scene is not just surviving, but booming. He said: '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.'
Zilberman also highlighted the importance of grassroots infrastructure and local talent in fuelling a city's musical ecosystem.
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He said: 'Cities which 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.'
He added that homegrown artists play a vital role in shaping the identity of a city's music culture, commenting: '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.'
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The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Count down to Glastonbury with all the numbers you need to know
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Scottish Sun
36 minutes ago
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Huge band's Glastonbury appearance hanging in the balance after two stars and crew fall sick and warm up shows cancelled
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Fingers crossed everyone is ok." Someone else moaned: "Talk about bad timing! I was waiting outside the venue when the cancellation was announced, only two hours before the concert was supposed to start. Foo Fighters make surprise Glastonbury performance as The Churn Ups "It was especially tough seeing two fans who'd flown all the way from Australia for this show. "Disappointed for sure, but wishing the band a speedy recovery and really hoping they can reschedule for next year." Glastonbury kicks off today with several mystery slots still unannounced - and fans are on high alert for clues about surprise performers. This morning, a mysterious billboard popped up near Castle Cary, the main train station for Glastonbury Festival. The large white banner features a cryptic message in red text which says: 'I've had my share of Monday mornings when I can't get up.' It also included a mobile phone number. 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The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Huge band's Glastonbury appearance hanging in the balance after two stars and crew fall sick and warm up shows cancelled
AMYL and the Sniffers' upcoming Glastonbury set is hanging in the balance after illness swept through the band and their team. The Aussie rockers were forced to cancel their Vienna gig on Monday after two band members and a crew member came down with 'a very nasty virus". 5 And it comes just days before they're due to hit the stage at Worthy Farm. In a statement shared to their Instagram Stories, the group - comprised of Amy Taylor, Bryce Wilson, Declan Mehrtens and Gus Romer - wrote: "VIENNA. We are so sorry, but we have to cancel tonight's show. "Two of our band members and one of our crew have contracted a very nasty virus and they are receiving medical care. "We're so sorry for fie late notice. We were hoping we would not have to cancel tonight, but they are just too sick to perform. "You'll get an email from the promoter and tickets will be automatically refunded from the point of purchase. "We'll come back as soon as we can." The last-minute cancellation came just two hours before the band was due to take the stage, with disappointed fans left outside the venue. Taking to a Reddit forum, one wrote: "Amyl and the sniffers have cancelled a show in Vienna tonight. Hoping their band members will be okay for Saturday!" Another added: "They're great live and put on a hell of a show in Woodsies a few years ago. Fingers crossed everyone is ok." Someone else moaned: "Talk about bad timing! I was waiting outside the venue when the cancellation was announced, only two hours before the concert was supposed to start. "It was especially tough seeing two fans who'd flown all the way from Australia for this show. "Disappointed for sure, but wishing the band a speedy recovery and really hoping they can reschedule for next year." Glastonbury kicks off today with several mystery slots still unannounced - and fans are on high alert for clues about surprise performers. This morning, a mysterious billboard popped up near Castle Cary, the main train station for Glastonbury Festival. The large white banner features a cryptic message in red text which says: 'I've had my share of Monday mornings when I can't get up.' It also included a mobile phone number. When one Reddit user contacted the number, they said they got a response to sign up to a "scam" investment scheme. The billboard was spotted by a festival-goer queuing early for the gates, who shared a photo to Reddit with the caption: 'Does anyone know what this is about / who's it for? 'Just got here to queue for gates opening and haven't seen anyone mention it. Give me ya theories!!!!' One fan was quick to point out that the same sign appeared in Glasgow recently, fuelling rumours that Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi - who made a surprise return to the stage in May after a hiatus - may be planning a surprise return on one of Glastonbury's stages. The Someone You Loved star, who has been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome, was forced to take a break from music after struggling to finish his set at Glastonbury in June 2023. The legendary festival officially opens today at Worthy Farm in Somerset, with headline performances scheduled from June 27 to June 29. This year's headliners include The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo. Elsewhere on the bill are major acts like Charli XCX, Loyle Carner, Rod Stewart, The Prodigy, Doechii, and Raye. Earlier this month, the full festival schedule was released — but fans noticed several TBA slots still in place. Now they have a new theory about who else could make a surprise appearance at the legendary festival. On the 2025 Glastonbury schedule, the Saturday 6.15pm slot has a mysterious act called "Patchwork" pencilled in, and fans have been trying to work out what it means. It follows a similar mystery in 2023 when Churn Ups were revealed to be the Foo Fighters. Fans are convinced that Chappell Roan is "Patchwork" after she posted a telling clue on Instagram. It came after the Pink Pony Club star shared a picture of herself holding a patchwork quilt, and wrote next to it: "Insane vibe." Dave Grohl also sparked a flurry of excitement after he jetted to the UK earlier this week. Grohl, 56, sent fans into a spin after posing for a photo with US singer Amanda Palmer at London 's Royal Albert Hall. After grabbing the Foo Fighters legend for a photo, she shared it on social media and told her followers: "Well I'll be damned. Not who I expected to run into backstage at the Yeah Yeah Yeah's show in London tonight, but look, it's Dave Grohl." The rest of the bill features big-name acts such as Charli XCX, Doechii, Rod Stewart, Loyle Carner, The Prodigy and Raye. 5 5 5 5
