New figures from UKHospitality and CGA reveal London's hospitality industry revenue grew to £46bn last year, up from £43bn in 2019, and sales outpaced the rest of the UK.

With London's fantastic pubs, bars and restaurants driving London's economic recovery, The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said it shows the "phenomenal resilience in London hospitality".

Millions attended sold out gigs in the capital last year from artists such as: Beyoncé, Harry Styles, ABBA and Blur which helped revenues in the hospitality sector.

Figures show that more than 225,000 people experienced Beyoncé's show over five nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Harry Styles recorded his highest UK attendance (320,000) over four nights at Wembley, and 160,000 enjoyed The Weeknd at London Stadium.

Daniel Levy, Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, said: "Our multi-use stadium has become a premier sports, leisure and entertainment destination in London.

"We are delighted our wide range of events and attractions have contributed such a major boost to the London economy - contributing around £900m of gross output and an additional £478m of GVA – while providing a significant uplift to our local area, with more than 4,000 jobs created.

"We will not stand still – with plans for further Visitor Attractions, notably F1 DRIVE - London, new homes, a new creative quarter and a hotel in the years to come, this area that we are so passionate about will continue to benefit from the Club's investment."

West Ham's London Stadium hosted the likes of The Weeknd and Burna Boy in 2023 (credit: Arne Müsele/Wikimedia Commons).

The new data also found 250 new restaurants opened in London in 2023, a four per cent increase on 2022.

Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality Chief Executive, said: "These figures clearly show that hospitality, leisure and tourism remains absolutely critical to London.

"Our venues are somewhere that consumers, both from at home and abroad, prioritise and seek out when they visit, meaning our sector is crucial to maintaining London's recovery and growth.

"I'm confident this appetite for hospitality and fantastic experiences will continue this year and that it can remain a key driving force behind growth and success in the capital."

Although the music and hospitality sectors continue to bounce back to full health following the pandemic, they still face a number of difficulties, with increases in rents and energy costs, and ongoing issues around migration changes impacting recruitment.

Smaller and independent venues are particularly affected.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "London's pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants are unrivalled and I'm delighted that they have helped our capital roar back from the impact of the pandemic.

"With figures now better than before the pandemic, It really shows the phenomenal resilience in London hospitality.

"The success of our world-leading hospitality sector over the last 12 months is alongside some incredible live music events that have brought huge crowds to our capital.

Mr Khan added: "However, we know much more still needs to be done to protect grassroots live music venues and those hospitality businesses that continue to struggle during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and growing challenges with recruitment.

"We need Government to step-up and do more to appreciate the crucial cultural, economic and social value of these venues and ensure they have the support they need."

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