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Country music finds UK listeners - 23rd March 2026

Country music is becoming more popular in the UK. It's increased by 238 percent since 2020, says Spotify.

The UK also has the largest country music festival in Europe. The festival is called Country to Country (C2C).

Noah Rinker: "London, how're we feeling this afternoon?"

It has events in London, Belfast and Glasgow.

Country music's popularity is growing fastest in the UK, says John Finch from the UK Country Music Association.

John Finch: "In the last 12 months, the consumption of country music in the UK has grown by just under 11 percent, which is massive. It's the fastest growing music genre in the UK, and the UK has the fastest growth of anywhere in the world."

Country music is popular across different age groups. The songs talk about many situations in our lives. William and Cameron think that this variety is important.

William Martin: "One minute, it's singing about a truck and a beer. One minute, it's singing about a girl that you fell out of love with. A different song for every occasion."

Cameron Fulton: "Country kind of covers all the genres, sometimes. You've got the sad songs - heartbreak songs - and then party in the summer."

The way that country music tells stories has made it popular. Now, this musical style is used by rappers and pop stars. They're bringing this part of US culture to new audiences.

Georgia Ku: "Hello everyone! How's everyone doing?"

Country music works well on social media too. This increases interest, says British country singer Georgia Ku.

"Honestly, it's probably TikTok. I think the way someone can put a chorus on there, and thousands and thousands of people can hear 30 seconds of a song and know every word and want to be invested in it."

The British record industry checks how popular different styles of music are. Last year, country music broke records.

It's more popular than it has been for 100 years. Its share of the music market is predicted to grow further.