Sweden`s Live Music Sector Grows to SEK 6.9bn
Sweden`s live music sector continued to grow in 2025, with ticket revenues from concerts and festivals reaching SEK 6.9 billion (approximately €630 million), making live music the largest source of domestic music industry revenue, according to new figures from Swedish industry organisation Musiksverige.
The figures, published on November 10 in the report Musikbranschen i siffror 2009–2025, show that Sweden`s overall music industry generated SEK 18.9 billion in revenue during 2025, including SEK 6.2 billion from exports.
Live music was the only one of the three main industry segments – live, recorded music and rights – to record domestic revenue growth in 2025.
However, the positive development in live music contrasts with stagnating revenues from recorded music and streaming. Recorded music generated SEK 3.7 billion, with revenues remaining largely unchanged in inflation-adjusted terms since 2022.
Growth Comes With Challenges
Despite the growth in concert and festival revenues, the live sector continues to face rising production costs. Industry analyst Daniel Johansson, who works on Musiksverige`s annual statistics, noted that a significant share of live revenues goes to international superstar acts performing in Sweden, while the costs of staging concerts and festivals have increased in recent years.
Musiksverige is now calling for a national music strategy to support the industry`s long-term development.
"Although there are positive aspects to the 2025 figures, there are also trends we need to take seriously. The lingering effects of the pandemic, several years of weak economic conditions and real-term cuts in government funding have created a challenging situation for many artists, music creators and businesses across the industry," said Titti Mangert, Chair of Musiksverige.
The organisation wants the next Swedish government to introduce a dedicated national music strategy, similar to initiatives already established in Austria, Germany, Ireland and France, to strengthen the conditions for artists, music businesses and the wider industry.