Gender equality in the live music sector

The wider issue of gender inequality in the music industry has been well publicised with recent research finding that women working in music face discrimination, harassment, unequal opportunities and a lack of support in an industry characterised by power imbalances. This is certainly not just a European problem but a worldwide one, reflecting a gradual shift in societal attitudes towards women’s rights and bodily autonomy. This literature review will explore themes around gender and live music such as festival line ups, gendered employment in the live sector, sexualised violence in live music spaces and the challenges of establishing an effective methodology for gender data collection. The review concludes by considering some of the solutions implemented to tackle gender inequality in the live music sector.