Dua Lipa and Harry Styles helped UK music exports hit £4billion last year – is your favourite in top 10 earners?
POP superstars Dua Lipa and Harry Styles helped UK music exports hit £4billion last year.
The chart-toppers generated the cash thanks to the return of post-pandemic international touring.
New Rules singer Dua Lipa performed a 91-show tour — taking in the US and Australia — to more than one million fans, with revenues of £80million.
Harry Styles embarked on a huge sell-out American and European trek during the Love On Tour concerts — with box office receipts of £500million.
And Ed Sheeran sold more concert tickets in 2022 than any other artist.
Three million for 63 concerts were snapped up for the European leg of his stadium tour.
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The gigs, including a five-night run at Wembley Stadium, brought in around £202million.
Exports include sales and streams of recordings, live shows and spending by overseas tourists attending live shows in the UK.
Wembley Stadium held a record 16 concerts in 2022 with Coldplay and Lady Gaga also playing there and helping to support 210,000 industry jobs.
Recorded music by British artists saw exports rise in value by more than £100million year-on-year to a new high of £709million.
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Growth was driven by emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
Exports Minister Lord Offord said: “It is fantastic news British artists have a global reputation for creating, writing and producing amazing music.”
The figures are revealed in a new report by trade organisation UK Music — and are released during International Trade Week.
They show the sector contributed £6.7billion to the economy here.
But the organisation is calling for barriers on visas for musicians and crew heading to the UK to be removed.
UK Music Interim Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: “We need far more support — otherwise we risk the UK being left behind in the global music race.”
