The value of live music in Scotland equates to more than £581million and it’s one of the biggest drivers of tourism in Scotland. It’s also a huge part of the social and cultural fabric of Scottish society, bringing together different communities over shared passions. Glasgow in particular is renowned for its vibrant music scene, boasting an array of venues and festivals throughout the year to worldwide acclaim.
The success of the nighttime economy not only hinges on the talent on stage but also the overlooked factor of public transport facilitating millions of music lovers travelling to these events. Efficient public transport is the lifeblood of a successful events industry, and Scotland is currently being let down.
Glasgow’s extensive transport network, encompassing trains, buses, and the Subway should be ensuring music lovers from all corners of the city and beyond can access culture with ease, but our national train operator continues to fail to provide the necessary support for Scotland’s nighttime economy.
Last weekend, 150,000 people from across the UK descended on Glasgow Green to enjoy live music at TRNSMT, Scotland’s biggest live music festival. For those who attended on Sunday, ScotRail left many revellers stranded and searching for alternative routes home when they announced that no services would be running by the end of the festival, with some services finishing as early as 6pm. To run a festival at the scale of TRNSMT, we create new employment opportunities for over 4,000 people each year. It is the duty of the Scottish Government to give workers confidence that there’s a public transport option for their journey home.
Following this chaos, ScotRail then revealed that additional train services are being provided for The Open in Royal Troon and have teamed up with Stagecoach to offer a combined rail and bus ticket. This is great, it’s making the sporting event accessible, but it's exactly the type of support that live music is denied and it’s just not good enough.
Not only does this affect the 25% of Scots who attend events run by DF Concerts each year and TRNSMT music fans, but anyone who wants to enjoy what Scotland’s nighttime economy has to offer; from theatre or live music to clubbing, the public transport system is letting the public down. Everyone should be able to feel confident that they can attend these events, without having to either leave early, worry about their journey home or having to plan an alternative and less sustainable route home at the last minute.
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Public transport is vital to those who work in Scotland’s nighttime economy: 137,000 people work across it in Scotland, where the majority of workers are aged under 30, and need to navigate cities late at night. Reliable public transport offers a safe means of travel. We’re also living through a cost of living crisis and employees need a reliable public transport service to get to and from work rather than have to pay the cost of a taxi, risk LEZ fines and parking fees, and negatively contribute additional emissions as a result of their journey.
It’s not just ScotRail who are failing the nighttime economy, all public transport options are hugely unreliable at the moment. The city’s buses can be irregular, as is the Glasgow Subway which doesn’t operate after 6pm on a Sunday. This is ludicrous for a city that’s been named one of 19 UNESCO Cities of Music in Europe and 47 across the world, placing Glasgow at the heart of global musical discussion and promotion.
We have one of the most expensive public transport systems in Europe and the offering isn’t reflective of that. The financial burden not only discourages potential revellers from choosing more sustainable options but it exacerbates social inequalities. The expense of hugely undependable public transport options diminishes the inclusivity that the nighttime economy strives for, to service the cultural landscape of the country.
The environmental benefits of public transport cannot be overstated. Glasgow, like many urban centres, faces significant challenges related to traffic congestion and pollution. Scottish Government should be doing everything they possibly can to encourage the use of public transport. However, we are continually met with challenge after challenge when it comes to the support of the nighttime economy compared to sporting events and other so-called “Mega Events”.
The result of a lack of transport is that less sustainable means of transport are being used instead. We host TRNSMT in the city centre instead of a rural location to make it easier for fans to travel via public transport. This is an important part of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment, encouraging fans to use trains and buses with a reminder that travel for under-22s is free. However, unreliable bus services could mean this very positive initiative is not being used to its full potential.
With public transport in the state it’s in, how do the Scottish Government expect Scotland to meet its net-zero targets when it can’t provide adequate train services for one of the biggest live music events in Europe? And, more importantly, how can they justify adding such excellent public transport options for a sporting event whilst massively reducing services for a music event just one week previous?
Public transport has the opportunity to be the unsung hero of music events across the country but, right now, transport providers are not singing in harmony.
Geoff Ellis is CEO of DF Concerts
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