UK grassroots venues suffering from “the complete collapse of touring” – here’s how you can help

nme.com:

was recommended by MPs after a DCMS investigation back in Spring.The likes of Coldplay, Enter Shikari and Sam Fender have all adopted a levy of their own on huge tours to help save the grassroots, but frustration remains around inactivity from the government and upper echelons of the industry – and the pressure is only mounting, with the call seeming to fall on deaf ears with the government following this week’s budget.While 2023 proved to be “disastrous” and the worst year on record with 125 grassroots music venues shutting their doors, the MVT argue that a tidal wave of closures threatens the fabric of the UK music scene thanks to the recent budget announcement.

They argue that £7million in new premises taxes will place over 350 grassroots music venues at immediate risk of closure – threatening more than 12,000 jobs, over £250million in economic activity and the loss of over 75,000 live music events.“The challenges around business rates and grassroots music venues have been known and accepted for over a decade,” said MVT in a statement. “Changes in April 2026 are to be welcomed, but will be of no use for the hundreds of music venues that are now likely to be lost before this challenge is finally met with a full, long overdue reform.”A post shared by Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust)They’re now calling on music fans to urgently write to their MP here to stop the rise in Business Rates.At the NME-supported Venues Day last month celebrating 10 years of the Music Venue Trust, the charity laid out the situation that the gig spaces across the UK face.

Many are simply finding themselves “financially unviable”.“This is an incredibly worrying trend that’s been going on for a long time that has now reached crisis point,” said.