Music events are boosting hotel demand for several European markets in 2022

Europe is set to showcase a wide array of music events in 2022, and the large crowds they are likely to draw are music to the ears of local hoteliers. This latest Forward STAR piece shows how music lovers will equal beds in heads, specifically for Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and Turin.

The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour concludes in Dublin

Country legend Garth Brooks will fill the 82,000-seat venue Croke Park for five separate shows beginning on 9 September. What will be Brooks’ first performance in the country in more than 25 years sold 400,000 tickets right out of the gate, and hotel occupancy on the books is following suit with a peak of 61% on 10 September. Overall, Dublin shows five nights at least 40% occupancy in the books in September. As of early January, there were only four other nights the entire year that meet that level. As the concerts draw nearer, expect levels to climb even further.

Ed Sheeran, André Rieu in Belfast 

When examining Belfast’s forward hotel occupancy, we see two world-renowned performers, representing far different genres and target audiences, helping to draw in hotel guests. On 13 May, the Northern Ireland capital acts as host to Ed Sheeran as he delivers his “+ - = ÷ x Tour” to what is expected to be a sold-out Boucher Playing Fields. The English singer/songwriter’s impending arrival is causing future occupancy levels to reach 78% on the night of the show. Also, likely to be contributing to these occupancy levels is the arrival of Dutch maestro André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, also performing on 13 May.

Coldplay in Glasgow 

Glasgow is no stranger to large-scale events, recently playing host to COP26. It is therefore fitting that one of the next major events to cause a spike in bookings is also themed along the topic of sustainability, with Coldplay performing its environmentally friendly “Music of the Spheres” world tour. Taking place at Glasgow’s Hampden Park Stadium, this event is expected to draw in spectators from across the country and beyond, which has led to occupancy on the books already reaching 57% for 23 August.

Eurovision in Turin

After Italy claimed victory in the 2021 Eurovision song contest, its northern city of Turin will play host to thousands as part of this 66-year old competition. While bookings are steadier than the other examples in this analysis, it is worth noting that Turin is in a stronger bookings position than last year’s host, Rotterdam. Of course, that is largely due to the pandemic as vaccinations and growing levels of travelers confidence are much higher than this time last year.

Conclusion

Events are back, and cancellations are hopefully a thing of the past. Growing consumer confidence is allowing for booking windows to extend further, more so than we have observed since the pandemic began. This analysis shows that as a sense of normality returns throughout Europe, music fans are keen to get back into venues. Perfom and they will come.

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