Coldplay tops the chart as easiest artist to see live, Bon Jovi ranked hardest in a new study by Premier Inn.
Image: Moeletsi Mabe
A new study from Premier Inn has unveiled an intriguing analysis of the music touring landscape, revealing a notable disparity in accessibility for fans hoping to catch their favourite artists live. The research highlights a growing trend where major acts are opting for exclusive residencies in capital cities over wider tours that traverse multiple regions and countries.
Coldplay emerges as the frontrunner in accessibility, ranking as the easiest artist to see live thanks to their ambitious 225-date global tour, which spans five continents. This extensive tour enables fans across the world to experience their electrifying performances in a variety of locations, making Coldplay a beacon of hope for music enthusiasts longing for live entertainment.
In stark contrast, Bon Jovi has been positioned as the hardest artist to see live with their upcoming 'Forever' tour. The band has scheduled a mere 14 shows, with a staggering nine of those taking place in New York City alone. This limits fans' opportunities to experience their musical prowess and raises questions about the implications of such concentrated touring strategies.
This trend isn’t just a concern for Bon Jovi and their fans. Performers like Harry Styles and Ariana Grande have also recently adopted a strategy centred around lengthy residencies—30 nights at Madison Square Garden for Styles and a 10-night stint at London’s O2 Arena for Grande. While these blockbuster shows undoubtedly excite fans, they also suggest a narrowing accessibility for concertgoers based in other regions.
Harry Styles
Image: Instagram
The Premier Inn study comes on the heels of a report revealing that 175 towns and cities across the UK no longer host regular touring shows from professional artists.This change effectively leaves approximately 25 million fans without access to live music, suggesting that concert experiences are increasingly becoming a significant reason for travel and potential holidays, rather than just a local night out.
For fans, attending concerts is increasingly becoming an expensive venture. Previous research indicates that hotel bookings can surge by 40-80% during concert weekends, highlighting that the cost to catch a live show may soon outweigh the price of a ticket itself. The Premier Inn study meticulously analysed major world tours running throughout 2026 and those that concluded in 2025. Using a scoring system that considered factors such as the number of countries visited, cities covered, frequency of non-capital performances, total tour dates, and continental spread, a ranking of artists was established.
As the music industry continues to evolve, it raises important questions about the future of live performances and accessibility. Will audiences need to re-evaluate their concert-going strategies or brace themselves for a travel-heavy music scene? As artists strive for larger audiences and bigger stages, fans might have to adapt and plan ahead if they wish to experience live music—far beyond the confines of their home cities.