Wales has long been known as the land of song and music continues to make an enormous contribution to our cultural economy.

According to research from UK Music, in the last year over 500,000 music tourists came to Wales. This contributed £218 million to the economy, supporting nearly 2,500 jobs in Wales.

Here in Cardiff Central, we are fortunate to be home to a vibrant and diverse live music scene. From sell-out stadium concerts from internationally renowned artists at the Principality to intimate gigs in small venues across the city, live music is a huge part of our city.

Welsh musicians are one of our greatest exports, known around the world, and our Welsh Labour Government are working to support future generations of young musicians.

As part of the delivery of a National Music Service for Wales, Labour in power have trebled music education funding to the tune of £13.5m. No child should miss out on access to music due to a lack of means, supporting music education means that all children and young people will have access to learning an instrument.

With the Covid pandemic silencing venues, the resurgence of live music in 2022, the first full year of post-pandemic festivals, gigs and concerts in the UK is very welcome news. This includes 1.1 million foreign music tourists coming to the UK.

But despite the welcome news, the music industry is not entirely without challenges. Brexit red-tape created by Boris Johnson makes it harder for British artists to tour in Europe. This is totally illogical and the next Labour Government will make it easier for musicians to tour Europe without this added bureaucracy.

From festivals surrounded by idyllic mountains to concerts in Castles, our Welsh live music offer is truly unique and one of the strongest in the world.

You can read UK Music’s report about music tourism’s contribution to the economy in full here.