viagogo has released its annual Year in Live Experiences report, revealing how fans across the UK and worldwide celebrated live entertainment in 2025. The data shows fans are embracing live experiences like never before, traveling further, seeking out major global moments, and driving strong growth in live events across the entire year.
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Coldplay crowned 2025’s most popular act
Coldplay were the most in-demand artists of 2025, drawing more fans across the UK and worldwide than any other act. International audiences flocked to see them on their home turf, making Coldplay the year’s top live event for overseas fans.
Not even an Oasis nostalgia wave could knock them off the throne – the Gallagher brothers ultimately took second place on the 2025 leaderboard. Still, they can take comfort in strong home support, with demand for Oasis tickets notably higher in the north of England than in the south.
Most in-demand artists in the UK in 2025
Coldplay
Oasis
Billie Eilish
Sabrina Carpenter
Lewis Capaldi
Lana Del Rey
Dua Lipa
Teddy Swims
Lady Gaga
Beyoncé
Live Events Go Year-Round as Fans Break Away From the Summer Surge
According to viagogo’s 2025 monthly ticket-buying patterns, fans aren’t just purchasing tickets around the usual summer peak. In 2024, the five months from May to September accounted for half of all ticket sales. But in 2025, ticket purchases in the months outside the summer stretch rose by 10%, signaling fans are turning live events into an all-year-round experience.
This trend is notable heading into the holidays in the UK. November and December have emerged as two of the region’s more active months, with 26% more tickets sold compared to the same period in 2024 – suggesting that live event tickets may be finding their way under Christmas trees this year.
Fans Continue to Follow Artists and Sports Starts All Around the Globe
Travel played a major part in 2025’s live entertainment, with a 27% annual increase in UK fans buying tickets to international events. In fact, Oasis fanatics were most willing to travel globally to see the band, journeying thousands of miles to destinations like Buenos Aires, East Rutherford, Pasadena and Sydney.
However, it’s the 2025 sporting calendar that has inspired the most UK fans to travel abroad, with rugby, cricket, and the NFL dominating the top five most in-demand events. Ashes hopefuls chasing both winter sun and world-class competition helped make Australia the most visited destination for British travellers, with the Melbourne Test emerging as the single hottest sporting event of the year.
Top five most visited countries by Brits for live events
Australia
Italy
Spain
USA
France
Top five international events UK fans bought tickets for in 2025
Australia vs England Cricket Ashes Test, Melbourne
Washington Commanders vs Miami Dolphins NFL, Madrid
Australia vs England Cricket Ashes Test, Sydney (beginning January 4 2026)
Wallabies vs Three Lions Rugby Tour, Sydney
Italy vs Ireland Six Nations Rugby, Rome
Even as many Brits travelled abroad, London’s major concerts and iconic events like Wimbledon propelled the city to the top of Europe’s live-event scene, making it the most visited EU capital in 2025 with fans from 164 countries. Spain rounded out the top three, with Madrid and Barcelona taking second and third place.
Top five most visited cities for live events in Europe
London, UK
Madrid, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Munich, Germany
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Looking ahead: Mega-tours and global sporting moments already shaping 2026
Early indicators for 2026 point to soaring excitement around major world tours and marquee events. Fans are already searching and planning for Bon Jovi, Luke Combs, and Bad Bunny, currently the most in-demand UK shows for 2026, with three of Luke Combs’ dates landing in the top five. The UK’s appetite for nostalgia is also holding strong, with upcoming tours from Metallica and My Chemical Romance securing spots in the top 10 most sought-after shows of the year.
Rome is becoming a home away from home for many rugby fans as Italy vs England in the Six Nations is the most sought-after sporting event in 2026. Before that happens, the first day of England’s fifth Ashes Test in Sydney also holds a spot as one of the most in-demand events of 2026.
Most anticipated 2026 sports events
Italy vs England, Rugby Six Nations
Australia vs England Day 1, Cricket Ashes
England vs Wales, Rugby Six Nations
Australia vs England Day 2, Cricket Ashes
Scotland vs England, Rugby Six Nations
“This has been a landmark year for live entertainment – fan enthusiasm is soaring. People are traveling farther, planning earlier, and embracing experiences year-round. Our mission is to make live events more accessible to fans everywhere, and our recent partnership with Booking.com is helping make event-going even more seamless.
“Fan appetite for entertainment does more than support artists and teams — it energizes cities, fills venues, strengthens local businesses, and drives the wider economy.”
– Hayley DiNaso, Partnerships Manager
NOTES TO EDITORS
Methodology
Insights are based on anonymised, aggregated global data from viagogo from January–November 2025, including ticket order volumes, event popularity indicators, travel patterns and year-on-year comparisons. Ranking based on cumulative ticket sales by UK-based fans on viagogo in 2025 as of November.
For more on the economic impact of the secondary ticketing market, ‘Ticket to thrive: UK secondary ticket market for live events contributes nearly three-quarters of a billion pounds (£733m) to local businesses according to new ‘Fanonomics’ Research.’
About viagogo
viagogo is the world’s leading marketplace to buy and sell tickets to any live event, anywhere. Through viagogo internationally and StubHub, our platform in North America, we service customers in 200 countries + territories in 33 languages and 48 available currencies. With more than 300 million tickets available to events around the world annually — from sports to music, comedy to dance, festivals to theater — viagogo offers the safest, most convenient way to buy or sell tickets to the most memorable live experiences.
As a marketplace, viagogo itself does not sell tickets, it provides a safe and regulated platform that helps fans experience the events they love.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251209028378/en/
Contact
For further information please contact press@viagogo.com
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2025 Year in Live Experiences: UK fans travel further than ever and turn live events into global moments