At Coachella 2024, as visitors swarmed the shining and shimmery Empire Polo Club in the Colorado Desert’s Coachella Valley, Visit Greater Palm Springs (VGPS) was setting up for another big event in the area. Every year, the official tourism marketing agency for the Coachella Valley capitalises on the inbound traffic to promote the destination. Similarly, when Taylor Swift’s performance at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh generated hype enough to create seismic activity, concertgoers who stayed to gig-trip and explore the storied Scottish capital demonstrated a comparable, if not greater, eagerness. The post-pandemic era of gig tourism is in full swing.
The thriving travel economy has started luring attendees with the promise of transcendence through itineraries that include art and culture soirées in a city, followed by restaurants offering “special deals”, and featuring a 7-course experience of glitz and glamour. Enter social media, sucking users into a whirlwind of FOMO and aestheticised gig-tripping content that’s guaranteed to convince you.
Today’s gig-trippers are travelling far and wide to enjoy the music of their favourite artists, not just to see that particular concert but also to learn about new destinations. While some gig-trippers spend a week before or after to invest in the place, others multitask and make the most of their mornings and nights before the show to soak in the local culture. Here’s all you (will ever) need to know about the ‘gig-tripping’ trend and some key strategies from pro gig-trippers.
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What is gig-tripping?
Gig-tripping means planning domestic or international travel with the tour stops or concert locations of your favourite artists as the anchor of your itinerary. Ultimately, you are maximising the flight ticket and hotel you paid for to attend the concert and explore the town/city without having to make a separate trip. Despite it costing you more to extend the stay and pay for additional travel, it is still considerably cheaper and time-saving.
According to a report by Skyscanner, 44 percent of US travellers would fly short haul to see their favourite artist live, with 18 percent saying they’d fly long haul. Another 34 percent said they plan to attend a gig, music concert or festival at home in 2024. This rises to 50 percent of 25-to-34-year-olds. As many as 60 percent also said they would consider a concert overseas in 2024 if it would help them save money compared to 34 percent of UK travellers.
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How do I plan a gig trip?
Read the fine print: Starting your booking process in advance — both for the concert and, more importantly, the destination — is one of the most essential steps to plan the ‘tripping’ part of your travel. But another step that might supersede this is to ensure you purchase concert or festival tickets through a reputable source in advance, advises music publicist Bob Bradley. “On occasion, shows and festivals are cancelled and you want to check the terms of your purchase to make sure you can get a refund or have purchase protection.”
To arrive on the day of the concert is to arrive too late: Ritika Vaswani, a Delhi-based professional, has an impressive resume as a concertgoer and recommends people start planning earlier than they think they should. A headstart (probably a day or two) will do three important things — it’ll give you a chance to explore some attractions early on, taking a bit of the pressure off your itinerary. Secondly, you can take on easier and less tiring adventures after the concert to avoid fatigue. Third, it’ll help you lock in on both the ticket and travel prices before they start costing way more than they are worth. “I learned this lesson the hard way when Munich hostel prices skyrocketed after I booked my Taylor Swift concert ticket,” she added.
Buy concert earplugs: “I love music and attending festivals, so I want to be extra careful with my ears and enjoy music for as long as I can. The reason why I have custom-made ones is because they have a ‘music filter’, which moderates the sound equally across all frequencies,” says DJ and photographer Chris Oberman. These become increasingly important if you are planning to attend multiple concerts in a short span and you can find several variations in the market to choose from. You can consider the Loop Experience 2 set, Decibullz Professional High Fidelity Earplugs, Earpeace Sport Pro and more.
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Swap the Uber for a city bike: “Don’t rely on Ubers/Taxis when 40,000 people are trying to exit the venue. Consider renting bicycles at the local bike shop to make transportation a breeze (and fun!),” says Jordan Levin, Senior Agent and EVP of Marketing at BookingEntertainment.com. This can have the double advantage of helping you explore the city simultaneously as you can take the time to stroll through parks, pick up some local food and experience the surroundings.
Scan the stadium food for local options: And if you can’t spot any, plan a post-concert mukbang to try out everything the locals (and the internet) are suggesting.
Sign up for a gig-tripping package: In June, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane launched a dedicated “gig-tripping package”, for visitors planning to attend the eight Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium. Similarly, tour operators in several big cities announce themed packages that you can look out for to get convenient access to both the event tickets and a private or group travel experience.
2025 concerts to consider for a gig-tripping adventure
Billie Eilish
Tour: Hit Me Hard and Soft 2025 Tour
Metallica
Tour: M72 2025 North America Tour
Dua Lipa
Tour: Radical Optimism 2025 Tour
Gracie Abrams
Tour: The Secret of US World Tour 2025
Iron Maiden
Tour: Run For Your Lives World Tour 2025-2026
Coldplay
Tour: Music Of The Spheres 2025 Tour
Green Day
Tour: Saviours Tour 2025
Bryan Adams
Tour: 2025 Australia and New Zealand Tour
Childish Gambino
Tour: New World Tour 2025
Oasis
Tour: 2025 Reunion Tour
Papa Roach
Tour: 25th Anniversary Tour
Ed Sheeran
Tour: Mathematics Tour 2025
Bright Eyes
Tour: 2025 North America Tour
BTS
Tour: 2025 Tour
BLACKPINK
Tour: 2025 Tour
Note: The dates for these tours are yet to be announced.
(Featured image credit: Tony Pham/Unsplash)
Related | These Are The Top Destinations For 2025, According To Amex Travel
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
While the primary reason remains to see their favourite artist perform live, another important element of why people choose to ‘gig-trip’ is to simultaneously experience the host destination.
Consider if you've visited the location before and what you missed that you'd like to explore now, whether it's the best time to visit, and the logistics and budget needed to explore the destination.
While how much you can save will depend upon every traveller’s personal preferences, some broad recommendations that are bound to help everyone include booking early, travelling off-peak, staying in budget accommodation near your gig and attractions to avoid changing hotels, using public transport, and negotiating expenses.
Whether it be a multi-day music festival like Coachella or a one-off night, some must-have essentials include noise-reducing earplugs, power bank(s), refillable water bottle, sunscreen and comfortable shoes.
We suggest creating an itinerary that blocks off concert time and plans activities around it, ensuring downtime for rest and recharging. When moving cities, account for travel time and fatigue, and aim to enjoy the itinerary without feeling pressured to overdo it.
Just got that dreaded email saying your concert dates have changed or been canceled? First, decide if you still want to visit the host city and use your paid-for travel plan or reschedule for the new date to avoid doubling your budget. Stay flexible, negotiate compensation, and make the most of the situation.
Use a global SIM card that supports all countries or pay for a local SIM in each country, and rely on WhatsApp or other messaging apps over public or venue Wi-Fi if network connectivity is inconsistent.
Apps like Airbnb, Google Maps, TripIt, Eventbrite, XE Currency, Google Translate, WhatsApp, and Uber can help streamline logistics, communication, and planning.
New York, London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Nashville, Tokyo, and Austin often find themselves hosting countless artists and musical events every month, making them high on gig-tripper’s list.
Absolutely, just like backpacking or trekking, gig-tripping can be both a solo and group activity.
Written By
Sneha Chakraborty
Sneha Chakraborty is a journalist and photographer covering how travel intersects with food, culture, ..Read More
