The birthplace of iconic acts like Oasis, The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Joy Division, it’s often claimed that Manchester is the rock and indie capital of the UK. The UK’s second city still asserts that claim now, through acts like The 1975, Everything Everything and Pale Waves. Now we have the statistics to prove it.
Research by TickX, the event ticket search engine, has led the company to name Manchester the rock and indie capital of the UK.
TickX performed research to investigate which UK city has held the most rock, indie and alternative events since the company’s records began in 2015.
TickX found that Manchester has hosted a whopping 2902 rock and indie shows, more than any city in the country outside of London.
Manchester also boasted a far higher density of rock and indie events relative to the city’s size, with only Brighton (7.46) holding more rock gigs per 1,000 people than Manchester’s 7.33 – no mean feat given Manchester’s far greater population.
Steve Pearce, TickX co-founder and CEO said: “Manchester has long asserted itself as the country’s rock and indie capital and now our statistics prove it. With so many quality gigs to go to in the city, it’s easy to see why Manchester is such a big draw for live music fans across the UK.”
TickX’s research found that the number of events hosted by Manchester’s small and mid-level venues are a big reason behind the city’s rock royalty, with Manchester having more venues in the UK’s top 25 busiest rock venues than any other city.
Manchester Academy was found to be the city’s busiest rock venue with 349 events, hosting the fifth most rock and indie events in the UK behind the O2 Academy Islington (London), Brudenell Social Club (Leeds), The Robin 2 (Bilston) and The Cluny (Newcastle).
The other Manchester venues in the top 25 were the Deaf Institute (309 events), the O2 Ritz (250), Soup Kitchen (236) and Gorilla (226).
“It’s clear that Manchester’s vibrant rock and indie scene stems from its being blessed with a huge variety of active venues,” TickX said in the article.
“Whether they’re playing in the striking atmosphere of the Albert Hall or the sweat-box intimacy of The Castle Hotel, almost every rock and indie musician worth their salt passes through Manchester during their UK tours.”
You can find out more about TickX and their research into Manchester’s rock and indie scene here.