London tops the list of the best European city for music. But the number two spot may surprise you…
London is the best European city for music, a new survey has revealed.
After analysing different factors like how many venues, festivals, and concerts different European cities have, the UK capital has come out top with a staggering 2,437 concerts per year, 25 festivals, and 133 event spaces.
For any music lover, there’s something to do in London. Home to some of the most iconic music acts in history, from the Rolling Stones to David Bowie, you can easily spend a day doing a walking tour of the city’s musical heritage, whether that’s a photoshoot at the Abbey Road zebra crossing or an evening spent at the famous Ronnie Scott’s jazz bar.
Thanks to the many parks in the verdant city, London is also host to non-stop festivals during the summer. British Summer Time is one of the biggest festivals and takes over the centrally located Hyde Park and this year will see Stevie Nicks, SZA, Shania Twain, Kylie and many more headline.
Other major city festivals include All Points East, the Mighty Hoopla, and Field Day. There are also tons of venues, from the huge stadiums in Wembley and Tottenham, to the countless smaller bars and concert spaces dotted across the city.
The research was made by holiday booking company Love Holidays, and the country that came second in their listing might surprise. While the capital of the UK is hardly shocking, in second place was the German city of Hamburg.
That’s right. With Berlin relegated to fourth place, it was the second-largest city in Germany that provides the highest overall number of places to enjoy music. Hamburg is home to many of Germany’s biggest music names, including international superstar Nena, rock band Tokyo Hotel, and techno artist Scooter.
Between the two German cities is Paris in third place. The Palais Garnier, the Paris Philharmonic and the Théâtre du Châtelet are just the tip of the iceberg in the French capital’s plethora of music venues.
Paris’ musical history is about as storied as you get in Europe. It’s impossible to think of the city without also bringing up Édith Piaf, but it has also inspired musicians from around the world, from George Gershwin to – more recently – Kanye West and Jay-Z.
In fourth place is Berlin. It’s almost amazing that the once divided city is only in fourth given the legendary status it holds in musical history. For anyone wondering about the way Berlin has shifted with the times and influenced contemporary music in turn, the documentary B-MOVIE: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989 is a must watch.
Following Mancunian Mark Reeder, who became the Factory Records representative in Germany after moving at the end of the 70s, the film documents how the British rock music scene melded with the burgeoning electronic and techno scene developing in Berlin’s clubs to create today’s musical landscape.
Any tour of Berlin includes music as a necessity. Whether it’s walking in the footsteps of David Bowie, who famously recorded his Berlin trilogy of albums in the 70s or dancing the night (and day) away in its clubs, no trip can exclude music from an itinerary.
Speaking of Manchester, the UK city comes in fifth. Manchester’s streets are filled with remnants of its music heritage. The Haçienda, Factory Records and Oasis may no longer be with us, but the spirit of Manchester still teems with music.
Manchester boasts 76 music venues to London’s 133. While that’s a bit over half, given Manchester has a third the population of the capital, the musical capital has over 70% more live music venues per person.
Walk around the city on any evening and that becomes quickly evident as music blasts out from every other bar. Truly a Mecca for any music aficionado.