With global music artists increasingly playing big stadiums and large arenas, mid-sized venues such as the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool face a struggle to keep attracting headline acts. Tony McDonough reports

ACC Liverpool chief executive Faye Dyer is warning the M&S Bank Arena faces a battle to keep on attracting headline acts as the UK live music market continues to polarise.

And she added that the 11,000-capacity arena now faces stiffer competition in the North West with 2024 seeing the opening of Manchester’s Co-op Live venue, with a capacity of 23,500, adding to the city’s AO Arena which can accommodate 23,000 people.

So-called global ‘super artists’ are increasingly choosing to play larger arenas and sports stadiums. At the other end of the market live music faces a crisis with 125 venues abandoning live music in 2023.

With artists further down the chain faced with the soaring cost of touring, many are choosing to reduce the scale of their shows.

Line-up of musical artists playing the M&S Bank Arena in 2025 is not to sniffed at. It includes Bryan Adams, Kylie Minogue, Simply Red, Deacon Blue, André Rieu, Olly Murs and Holly Johnson.

However, in recent years the biggest global stars have played Anfield stadium. They include The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Eagles and, of course, the spectacular Taylor Swift shows in summer 2024.

In 2025 Anfield will host concerts by more stellar names including Bruce Springsteen, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa and Billy Joel. Everton FC opens its new stadium on Liverpool waterfront this year and is sure to want to grab a slice of that market.

ACC Liverpool Group comprises the M&S Bank Arena, ACC Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and Pullman Hotel. While it is major conferences lasting several days which bring in the most revenue to the city, shows and concerts are still of major importance.

In the last few days ACC Liverpool has posted its annual accounts for the 12 months to March 31, 2024, on Companies House. They show record revenues of £34.7m and a big reduction in net losses from £1.8m last year to £430,000 this year.

Writing in the annual report, Faye spoke of the “worrying trend of artists player fewer but larger gigs – often based around two or three centrally located UK cities only”.

She added: “This provides both challenges for the public in accessing affordable live music and challenges to the sustainability of smaller-sized arenas who are not immune to the issues facing grassroots live music venues.

“A comprehensive review of the live music ecosystem has now been launched by the Government. Stadiums and large arenas are hosting more fans than ever, with record-breaking tours from super artists.

“Meanwhile, at the other end, 125 UK venues abandoned live music in 2023, with more than half closing permanently. The cost of touring is also making performances prohibitive or reduced in scale.

“The gulf between the top and bottom is expanding with the new generation of stadium settings and new large arenas. Co-op Live’s new 23,500-capacity arena opened (in Manchester) in summer 2024.

“With Manchester also home to the 23,000-capacity AO Arena this poses a sharper geographical challenge to our venue.”

Following its election victory in July 2023 the new Labour Government has said it supports a levy on arena and stadium concert tickets to support the struggling grassroots music sector. 

Its current view is that levy should be voluntary and administered by a trust led by a sector umbrella body. However, Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee says the Government needs to take a more interventionist approach.

In November 2024, MP Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the committee, said: “The sheer number of venues in our local communities being forced to shut up shop each week has hammered home the stark reality of the struggles facing artists, promoters and others working in grassroots music.

“There are warnings of an even gloomier future. While the Government has dialled up the volume on the message that swift action on a levy is needed from the bigger players who pack out arenas and stadiums, the lack of a firm deadline for movement risks allowing matters to drift.”

Faye Dyer believes the M&S Arena’s waterfront location, and the numerous hospitality and visitor experiences in the vicinity, offer a powerful offer to event promoters.

However, she warned: “Confidence in being able to secure artist product and event programming will determine the timing and scope of further investment.

“We continue to monitor the market and its outlook for opportunities to secure event programming, and to use the arena to host non-touring products across broader markets.

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“The success of Eurovision 2023 has helped further showcase the city’s event and hosting credentials which we hope to be able to capitalise on in the future.

“Outside of entertainment markets we are on course to deliver the stepped recovery in conference and exhibition markets previously envisaged. These markets face their own supply issues with new national venues set to come on board in the coming years.”