Music Venue Trust publishes manifesto to help save grassroots spaces ahead of election

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has published a manifesto ahead of the forthcoming UK general election.

The report, entitled ‘A Manifesto for Grassroots Music’, outlines a series of steps that it argues need to be taken in order to save the UK’s struggling live music sector, which has seen on average five grassroots music venues (GMVs) close per week this year.

Describing it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”, the manifesto calls on prospective political parties to “seize the moment and drive forward change” by implementing the recent recommendations of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee.

These include following the steps outlined to halt the closures of GMVs across the country, and as well as echoing its previous calls for a £1 ticket levy, a proposed VAT cut on grassroots tickets, and a review of the business rates paid by venues.

Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, has stressed the importance of implementing the recommendations, saying, “38% of GMVs in the UK made a loss in the last 12 months. The sector operated on a 0.5% profit margin overall while running live music events at a £115 million loss.”

He added: “All of this can be changed if the next government delivers the five simple steps we have set out in this report. We therefore call on all political representatives, from all parties, to seize the moment and drive forward this change. We have a chance to save UK grassroots music venues from the crisis they currently face and we should not let it slip.”

“The Manifesto is being delivered to every prospective MP in the country with the request that they come out in support of it as part of their campaign to be elected,” Sophie Brownlee, external affairs manager at Music Venue Trust, elaborated. “Music communities across the country will also be asking the candidates where they stand on the future of live music in our towns and cities. The time to act is now.” 

The five key steps listed in the report are:

• A £1 grassroots investment contribution from every arena and stadium ticket sold to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters
   
• A fan-led review to fully examine the long-term challenges to the live music ecosystem
   
• The agent of change principle in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to be put on a statutory footing at the earliest opportunity
   
• A reduction in VAT on cultural ticketing in GMVs to 0% and reduce VAT on cultural ticketing in the live music industry to the European average (5–7%)
   
• The creation of a specific business rates premises definition for GMVs and the removal of properties satisfying that definition from the requirement to pay business rates

Read the full manifesto here.

A report published in January by the Music Venue Trust revealed that over a third of grassroots music venues in the UK are operating at a loss.

In the UK, it was recently revealed that over 40 summer festivals have now cancelled their 2024 edition, according to new figures from the Association for Independent Festivals (AIF).