Manchester’s live music economy is second only to London in the UK, according to a 2022 published report conducted by industry specialists Nordicity and Sound Diplomacy.

Commissioned by Manchester City Council and Manchester Music City to review Manchester’s economic landscape, the report found that the total economic impact of Greater Manchester’s music ecosystem between 2019-2020 was £469 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) and 11,270 FTE jobs (FTEs). This comprised a total economic impact of £390 million in GVA and 9,590 FTEs from the music sector, £63 million in GVA and 1,340 FTEs from music tourism and £16 million in GVA and 340 FTEs from the night-time economy.

The research found that Manchester’s live music scene makes up 64% of the ecosystem, while concert producers, booking agents and promoters account for 38% of music businesses in the city, making Manchester a particularly strong live music destination for both audiences and those working in the sector.

The significance of Manchester as a major national hub for classical music education via the Hallé Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and the BBC Philharmonic, was also underlined, while Manchester’s global reach through tourism, events and heritage were highlighted as making Manchester competitive against other music cities.