The UK government has revealed the deadline for the music industry to respond to its ticket levy in efforts to save grassroots venues.
- READ MORE: UK grassroots venues suffering from “the complete collapse of touring” – here’s how you can help
Earlier this spring, a government committee of UK MPs joined the call for a levy on arena and stadium gigs – as well as a cut in VAT – to support struggling grassroots music venues and artists. Though The Culture, Media and Sport Committee welcomed the UK government’s new backing of a levy on gigs at arena level and above to help save the grassroots music scene, they called for a clear deadline for the industry to take urgent action.
Now, in a letter published today in response to the questions posed by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Sir Chris Bryant MP – Minister of State for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries – wrote: “We want to see a voluntary levy on arena and stadium
tickets come into effect as soon as possible for concerts in 2025. To meet this timeline, we
want to see tangible progress across the music industry by the first quarter of 2025,” meaning that the music industry must make real progress by March.
He continued, highlighting the leadership shown by the likes of Coldplay, Sam Fender and Katy Perry who have all vowed to donate “a proportion of their upcoming tour revenues to support the grassroots sector.” The news of these artist donating a portion of revenue from their tour comes after 2023 proved to be “disastrous” and the worst year on record with 125 grassroots music venues shutting their doors – a rate of two per week.
Bryant also announced that he will hold a ministerial roundtable before Christmas with live music representatives to drive progress. The Committee itself will be holding a hearing with the sector in the middle of next year should no significant progress on a voluntary levy be made.
Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said: “This welcome push from the Government in response to the Committee’s concerns should help focus the minds of the big players in the music industry on the urgency of taking action to support our grassroots music sector. The ball is now very firmly in their court and we will continue to keep a very close eye on progress.”
Earlier today (December 9), ASM Global Arenas announced that they have joined forces with Music Venue Trust (MVT) to support grassroots venues across the country.
The company, which is a leading producer of live entertainment experiences, has confirmed that it will be expanding its partnership with the MVT with all of its venues fundraising for the cause.
ASM Global first announced its commitment to the MVT back in 2023, and has so far taken numerous steps to help provide support to grassroots venues. Now, organisers have confirmed that leading venues including OVO Arena Wembley, AO Arena, First Direct Arena, P&J Live, Utilita Arena Newcastle and more will offer fans the opportunity to help provide support for smaller venues in the form of the option of donating to the cause, both inside the venues when attending an event, and when buying tickets via venue websites.
Visit here for more information on how to support the Music Venue Trust campaign.
Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Kate Nash has been tirelessly campaigning to bring awareness to the hardships faced by local venue owners and emerging artists in recent weeks.
Last month, she launched her Butts for Tour Buses campaign, which saw her join OnlyFans to protest the ongoing financial pressures facing the music industry and help raise money for her ongoing UK and European tour.
She also took her “bum on the back of a fire truck” protest to the London offices of Live Nation and Spotify as well as the Houses of Parliament to highlight the challenges facing artists and those working in the touring industry.
In a statement to NME, Nash maintained that the value of recorded music is “extremely low” and the “cost of presenting live music has gone up by 30.3 per cent over the past two years” with 125 venues closing last year in the UK — echoing concerns raised by the Music Venue Trust last month.
“The industry is in crisis, the music industry has failed artists, and is completely unsustainable, and my arse is shining a light on that. And none would be listening if my bum wasn’t involved,” she continued. “This is a conversation about agency. And selling pictures of my bum is giving me the agency to reinvest in my creative economy. The music industry does not give me that agency.”
