The Uk’s live music sector is one of the largest parts of the creative industry valued at over 1 Billion pounds annually according to (Uk Music). For any artist emerging or not performing live is crucial to key factors which are imperative to being a successful artist, these include: building a fanbase, testing original material and generating income. This business plan outlines a proposal to organise a 10 concert circuit for emerging bands/artists in the area of Leeds and surrounding areas. This model is designed to create consistent opportunities for these artists and by playing multiple venues around the same city they can build a core fan following which will increase their income due to ticket and merchandise sales. As these are emerging bands the venues have an enormous capacity so for the purpose of this business plan we are looking at venues that could hold around 100-200 people. The bands should be marketed on social media to increase the rate of ticket sales by exposure, aslo by adding student friendly pricing to the tickets they will also increase sales.
In this business plan I will explore the financial, legal and logistical elements of trying to put on a gig circuit for an emerging band.
Executive summary – Elevator pitch
This plan proposes a 10 concert circuit across Leeds and West Yorkshire, designed to highlight emerging bands within the area whilst offering affordable entertainment to the students and young adults of Leeds.
Each gig that happens within the circuit will be made up of three acts, two support acts and one headliner. Each of the concerts will happen at well known venues within Leeds which already have a core following, so just by playing at these venues the bands will attract fans that aren’t necessarily fans of their but they are fans of the venues. These are venues such as Hyde Park book club, Oporto and Wharf Chambers to name a few. This concert circuit will span over the period of three months with the gigs happening every weekend. For ticket princess it will be £7 for non students and £5 for students, which encourages more students to go. If we get a base attendance of around 100-120 people attending these concerts the plan will aim to break even by gig five. But the series will also generate money through merchandise sales and bar deals made with the venues. Another way to attract people to go see this concert circuit is by naming and marketing the circuit. For this purpose I have chosen ‘City Sound Circuit’ by naming the event it allows for people to follow along with it and can also provide more exposure for the artists. Eventually a long term goal would be to have a City Sound Circuit around all the major cities in the Uk which would provide even more exposure for the emerging bands and artists.
Description of the product/services
The suggested product is a branded concert series as I discussed earlier there will be a gig on every weekend whether that’s on a Friday night or a Saturday night. It will showcase music of different genres and artists who have different styles, this will help draw in a larger range of people as there will be a band or artist that they are interested in.
Each show includes
A three act line up, two support acts and one headline act
Professional grade audio equipment, liquiting and sound engineers.
Although this will be expensive it is also worth the extra cost because people want to have a good experience so by spending more money to make the bands sound better and look better this will provide and overall better experience for the audience, and if the audience has a good experience they will tell their friends and therefore we can bring in more customers.
Partnership with local photographers/videographers.
This partnership is key for online growth. By having each event captured professionally by a photographer/videographer we can upload those videos and photos onto platforms such as instagram and tic tok. If the videos look good it will attract more people to come to these venues.
Affordable student pricing
As I said earlier, having this affordable student pricing is crucial to the growth of this business plan as I believe that the students of the city of leeds are going to be the main people who come to these events. So, by having these affordable ticket prices for students it will attract them to come.
As you can see from this graph the average age of the people within the areas where the venues are located in below 30 years old, in most cases these would be students which is ideal for our business model as we are trying to attract students to our venue
Additional offerings
Branded market campaigns
We have different themed nights for different gigs. For example: one of the nights is indie night or metal night. I believe this will be a beneficial idea because it will pander to a large demographic of people and eventually the event will have a night which hosts the music that they are into.
Pop up merch
This is another way for the business to generate money by having merch stalls which the business will take a profit of all merch sales which is another source of income
Sponsorship with local businesses
Local businesses could partner with the event and offer their product, which is beneficial for them as they are getting brand exposure but good for our business as we will take a percent of all the profits earned
I think the value in this business plan relies on creating reliable and fun experiences for the people going. It’s not just a one off gig it’s a circuit model and if the first one does well it creates momentum going into the second gig and so on.
The market and market research
As discussed earlier the primary market for this business plan is 18-25 year olds, particularly students in the City and neighbouring towns such as Huddersfield, York and Sheffield. There are around 38,000 students in the city of Leeds so this provides a larger market for people wanting to come to our venue. Students from this age range are keen to go and see live music but due to their cost of living and university it makes going to see live music hard as they don’t want to spend all their money on something that isn’t a necessity. So, this is why this business plan works. It will be cheap, affordable live music, for £5 they get to see three bands, that’s an appealing deal for a student and why I think it will attract them towards this.
Leeds is also well known for its culture and its music scene, in 2022 a report by Leeds Music Census showed that 68% of surveyed students attend at least one live concert a month, so this means that the demand to see live music is very high. Also in the same study the same people being surveyed also expressed their frustration that there is a lack of mid sized local gigs that can tailor to their budget and taste. Leeds Music Census also conducted another survey which stated:
84% would pay £5–£7 for a 3-band lineup if held in a known local venue.
67% were interested in discovering new artists through live gigs.
59% said they don’t attend more gigs simply due to lack of awareness.
This data supports the idea that a well marketed, affordable and consistent concert circuit is likely to succeed in this area.
Competitor analysis
Because Leeds is a thriving community with lots of emerging artists there are already a few companies within the area who are offering a similar service to the one I am proposing.
Futuresound Events – A prominent Leeds-based promoter known for mid-size and large-scale concerts. While they offer high production value, their events often feature touring acts and are priced higher (£15–£30).
DIY gigs at Hyde Park Book Club/Oporto – Independent artists and small promoters occasionally run gigs in these venues. However, these are often inconsistent, under promoted, or lack a cohesive brand.
University music societies – Occasionally organise student gigs, but these tend to be internal-facing, low-budget, and non-commercial.
Differentiation
Brand consistency
What separates my idea from the other promoters is that my circuit will be branded as a circuit and not just a one off event, this will help build momentum and loyalty within the people who go to the events.
Affordable and professional
We will try to balance the low prices of our tickets with a professional sound, which seems hard to find with some student run gigs.
Curated lineups
Focused on genre based nights ie, indie night or rap night. This allows for targeted promotion and the people who like the music will come to those events.
Operation requirements
Each of the ten gigs will be hosted at mid-sized events with a 150-200 person cap. Ideal venues around the Leeds area would be the lending rooms or Hyde park book club as they are set up for live performances as they have a basic PA system and sound technicians. There will be a 15 minute change over in between bands to make sure everything is ready for the next band. The artists will also be paid a flat fee or ticket percentage with the performance agreement signed in advance. Event roles include one organiser (you), a sound engineer (venue-provided or freelance), a content creator, and door staff. Public liability insurance and risk assessments will be arranged to ensure safety and compliance with venue licensing laws.
Resourcing requirements
Essential resources include:
Venues (pre-booked with in-house sound gear),
Artists (30 total),
Personnel: one event lead, videographer, and occasional helpers,
Marketing tools: Canva, Meta Ads, Google Forms for RSVPs, and a shared Google Drive for managing documents.
DIY resources reduce costs, and existing relationships with student societies help with outreach and volunteer support.
Marketing and promotional strategy
Social media is definitely the best way for promoting a venue especially in a city such as Leeds where a post can spread around the whole city in a day. So, the key to promoting this event on social media is keeping the posts around the venue around 18-25 seconds long, this way it keeps the attention of the viewer without them getting bored. The posts must not just showcase how good our event is but also try to sell a lifestyle. We need to show the people watching the video that people at this event have fun and they are missing out if they don’t come to our event. We could also partner with famous Leeds content creators who could come to our event which will attract their audiences to come.
Costs and pricing strategy
Per-gig estimated costs:
Venue hire: £150
Artist fees: £200
Promotion: £50
Miscellaneous (travel, printing): £30
= £430 per gig, £4,300 total.
Revenue model:
120 tickets at £6 = £720
Net profit goal per gig: ~£250
Break-even reached around gig 5. Any surplus will fund improved lighting or headline acts. A long-term goal is to attract sponsorship (e.g. Red Bull, Pirate Studios), and eventually expand into a touring model across more northern cities.
Timeline and future development summary
Month 1: Planning, booking, lineup locked, launch content posted.
Months 2–4: Weekly gigs, continuous content creation.
Post-Series: Survey attendees and bands, evaluate performance. If demand is sustained, develop the brand into a regular seasonal concert circuit and potentially apply for Arts Council or PRS Foundation funding.
Evidence of group work
During our weekly seminars I pitched my different ideas to the groups and they suggested feedback such as the idea for themed nights. This came from someone in my group as an idea to make it pander to a wider range of people. Outside the classroom, I met up with Lily and Zayn from my seminar group to refine the concept. We discussed potential venues, ways to collaborate with societies, and the pros and cons of paying artists a flat fee vs. revenue share. Their input helped me finalise the artist payment structure and shape the logistics model.
In addition, the group workshops helped simulate the collaborative aspect of event planning and highlighted the importance of clear delegation, something I’ve carried into the structure of my own gig circuit model.
Conclusion
This 10-date concert series is a scalable, cost-effective way to support emerging artists while tapping into the high demand for student-focused live music. With strong branding, clear operational planning, and sustainable budgeting, it has real potential to grow into a recurring event series and platform for local music talent.
