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Year after year, the UK remains a hub for the world’s hottest live bands – and 2025 was no different. Highlighting the most significant moments, global ticket marketplace viagogo’s annual ‘Year In Live Experiences’ report reveals the on-stage phenomena that defined music in the UK over the past 12 months.
“The enthusiasm for live music shows no signs of slowing,” said Hayley DiNaso, who manages partnerships at viagogo. “It’s exciting to see such a diverse mix of artists paving the way for unforgettable experiences.” Here are eight fascinating insights from this year’s report.
Coldplay broke even more records
The titans behind ‘Paradise’ and ‘Fix You’ claim top spot as the best-selling artist in the UK. Extending their ‘Music Of The Spheres Tour into 2025, not only did they cement its status as the highest-grossing tour in history, but they wrote their name into the record books at Wembley Stadium. They toppled Taylor Swift and Take That’s tally of eight shows by performing 10 of their own, over the course of a residency across August and September.
Lily Allen stormed back into the big time
Who had Lily Allen’s last-minute renaissance on their 2025 bingo card? The internet-breaking success of her new album ‘West End Girl’ led to huge fan excitement around her first headline tour in seven years. After those theatre shows sold out instantly, she’s since added nine arena nights for next June – including a stop at the capital’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake battled it out in north London
After their viral beef played out across 2024, both Kendrick Lamar and Drake scored massive wins when they visited the capital in July. While the ‘Humble’ rapper blew the roof off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with help from SZA, it was Finsbury Park that turned into Drake’s kingdom. Headlining all three nights at Wireless Festival, the Canadian ensured it was the fastest-selling year in the festival’s recent history.
Lewis Capaldi proved he’s never been bigger
After a two-year hiatus to focus on his mental and physical health, Lewis Capaldi’s triumphant return was one of 2025’s sweetest success stories. The Scottish singer-songwriter brought hits like ‘Someone You Loved’ and ‘Survive’ to UK and Ireland arenas throughout September, including a heartwarming homecoming at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. The shows helped seal his status as the best-selling British solo artist of the year.
Fans are here for the plot…
In February, Lamar cleaned up at the Grammys with ‘Not Like Us’ – the apex of his rivalry with Drake. Lily Allen made an album that tore into her ex-husband David Harbour. The spike in demand to see both acts in concerts proves why diss tracks and discourse in online spaces can be key factors that inspire fans to follow the storyline all the way through to the gig room itself.
The world flocked to the UK for two bands…
Oasis follow Coldplay as the two best-selling artists in the UK on viagogo – but they also attracted fans from further afield. The European leg of the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour exclusively took place in the UK and Ireland, while Chris Martin and co. stopped by London and Hull for their only shows in the continent. It was the latter who, according to the report, drew in thousands of international fans – far outstripping other artists in terms of attendees from overseas.
But nothing beats a Jet2 holiday… to space
UK holidaymakers were converted to live music punters throughout the summer, as plenty hoped to score Jess Glynne tickets after her now-iconic ‘Hold My Hand’ soundtracked the viral Jet2 advert. Katy Perry took things one step further, jetting off to space itself, which inadvertently caused a huge uptick in demand for her ‘Lifetimes’ arena shows. From Belfast and Sheffield to Glasgow and London, the Californian pop legend swapped spaceships for a giant butterfly that soared above the audience.
International pop stars are dominating the top 10
The UK remains the premier market to witness some of the planet’s most iconic pop stars, from Lady Gaga and Beyoncé to Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. All four visited the UK this year, bringing world-beating production and chart-topping hits to our shores that earned them a place in the top 10 best-selling artists, accompanied by the likes of Teddy Swims and Lana Del Rey. From summer festival slots to autumn arena spectacles, there was rarely an occasion where the UK didn’t have a world-class pop show on offer.
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