Major music gigs will hit the right note with hospitality investors

May 9, 2023


Radio 1’s Big Weekend Returns to Dundee This Summer

People in Scotland are well known for their love of a good party. And the entertainment industry here – in the shape of music gigs – is thriving again after the pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of revellers flocking to events in our cities.

And these people need somewhere to stay, as well as nice places to eat and drink, so the prospects for investors to provide high quality leisure facilities such as hotels, bars and restaurants are really exciting.

Take the year ahead, for example. It’s going to be big for gigs – with major stars from around the world heading to Scotland to play venues such as the Ovo Hydro, Hampden Park, Bellahouston Park, Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Castle and the P&J Live Arena.

In Glasgow, you can enjoy visits from artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Shania Twain, Ed Sheeran, Guns N’ Roses, Muse, Celine Dion, Elton John, The Proclaimers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aerosmith. And the Trnsmt festival will attract thousands of people to the three-day Glasgow Green event, which will be headlined by Pulp, Sam Fender and The 1975.

Not to be outdone, in Edinburgh, The Who, Harry Styles, Bruce Springsteen, The Killers, Rod Stewart and Beyonce are all coming to town.

Meanwhile, in Dundee Radio 1’s One Big Weekend will see sets from Lewis Capaldi, The 1975 and Anne Marie, with thousands of fans set to descend on the city’s Camperdown Park. And in Aberdeen, music fans can enjoy visits from Elton John, KT Tunstall and the Pet Shop Boys.

But it’s not just the big cities that bring the big names.

In Perth, the annual Rewind festival attracts thousands of nostalgia-loving music fans who will take in Eighties acts such as Squeeze, Toyah, ABC and Soul II Soul. And in Inverness, the Belladrum festival will welcome the likes of Travis, KT Tunstall and Sigrid.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, with many more events taking place in our city venues which will attract thousands of people with money to spend.

So, as punters get out and about and have some fun after a tough few years, the opportunities are there to invest in our cities and reap the rewards of our nation’s status as a top gig destination.

More and more hotels, bars and restaurants are springing up in our cities, with demand for accommodation very high, and that will be music to the ears of potential investors.

It’s clear our cities really do provide rock solid opportunities for investor success.