2024 is the year of music festival

There are more and more music festivals enlivening the summer, which has effectively become the concert season. During this time, millions of young people choose to travel around the world to pursue the dream of listening to their favorite artists live. There is at least one festival for every genre, although hip hop and techno are the genres that attract the most people. The Primavera Sound in Barcelona has just concluded, as have the We Love Green in Paris, the Circoloco and the Mi Ami Fest in Milan. The challenge for the upcoming summer weeks will be to match the excitement of a schedule as rich as that of the aforementioned musical events. At Primavera Sound, attendees enjoyed performances by The Blessed Madonna, Royel Otis, Disclosure, and Troye Sivan. At We Love Green, SZA, one of the most acclaimed artists of 2023 and 2024, also performed. This is why traveling for concerts and festivals is the new trend for the new generations.

According to Skyscanner, 64% of those under 24 would take a flight to see their favorite artist live. Skyscanner's study focuses particularly on the habits of young Italian travelers. In Italy, according to the latest Travel Trends report by Skyscanner, traveling to attend concerts and festivals is the real summer goal this year. In fact, 46% of Italians stated that they would take a short flight to see their favorite artist live, while 15% say they would even fly to the other side of the world to attend a show. When narrowing the age group to 18-24 years old, the percentage rises to 64%. Skyscanner's research investigated this trend much more closely. In collaboration with the event app DICE, it revealed the most appealing global destinations in the so-called music tourism sector.

The research says a lot about the habits of young people. The most appealing destination remains Ibiza, the hub of partying culture, which is very unlikely to lose its reputation, considering it has historically been the most sought-after stop for the best techno and EDM DJs from around the world. The presence of Manchester and Leeds (in Northern England) in this ranking is surprising. The second place of the two English cities shows that the sentiment towards Britpop is still alive. Moreover, the Warehouse Project festival in Manchester retains the energy of the great nightclubs and live performances, while the smaller independent venues in the Northern Quarter convey a more local and simple atmosphere. The podium is completed by San Francisco, a city very different from Ibiza, Manchester, and Leeds, but with its own unique musical history that ranges from the jazz of the fifties and sixties to the hippie movement around Haight-Ashbury in the sixties. Today, popular venues and incredible clubs like Public Works, as well as smaller places like The Saloon and Atlas Café, offer a truly satisfying musical experience.

Among overseas destinations, the presence of Nashville is surprising. The capital of Tennessee is the music capital of the United States: country, bluegrass, rock, pop, Americana, gospel, classical, jazz, and blues make up the cultural fabric of the city. While the many live music venues attract people, the concert dates of Travis Scott have given the city significant status, now on many wishlists.