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The Grassroots Live Music Ecosystem

Music Venue Trust2025-07-04T10:02:56+01:00October 28th, 2020|

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UK registered charity which acts to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues.
A £10 chocolate egg lasts ten minutes, but that te A £10 chocolate egg lasts ten minutes, but that tenner on a gig ticket can stay with you for years. That money doesn’t disappear either. It pays the artist, the sound engineer, the person on the door. It keeps the lights on, the doors open, and the next generation of bands on stage. These are the rooms where music actually happens, and your life changes. Where scenes are built. Where people find something real. So if you’ve got a spare fiver or tenner this weekend, you know where it can go: MusicVenueTrust.com
Thank you to everybody who joined us at Venues Day Thank you to everybody who joined us at Venues Day 2026, and to those who helped make it happen. From start to finish it was a brilliant celebration of who we are, the work that we all do, and the passion that we share for live music. Bringing so many partners and UK grassroots music venues together for the day means so much to us. The ideas shared, the new thinking, the cogs that started to turn in real time - these kinds of things can often only come from hashing it out together IRL. In a room, or a side chat, or over a pint. Events like this, and our separate Grassroots Networking Day, act as a reminder of our strength and resilience, but also of our wins and the changing tide ahead for live music.
We’re very excited to welcome Getdown Services as We’re very excited to welcome Getdown Services as our newest MVT patrons, joining the likes of SOFT PLAY, Nova Twins, Enter Shikari, and Kate Nash. Over the last few years they’ve been strong advocates for grassroots venues, backing the sector in a real, practical way - vocally supporting their importance wherever they could. Their last tour included ticket contributions that raised over £7,500 to support the next generation of artists to perform live. As MVT patrons, they’ll be carrying that support forward and continuing to stand up for the venues that helped shape them. “It’s incredible to be working with a band like Getdown Services, who are not only one of the most exciting emerging acts right now, but already powerful advocates for grassroots music venues. With such an exciting year ahead, we’re looking forward to working together strategically to support the ecosystem that helped shape them.” - Toni, MVT Campaign & Comms Manager Getdown Services release their new single "The Radiator" TODAY, with an exciting new show announcement at Bristol Beacon that goes on sale THIS FRIDAY. More shows lined up across the summer and into next year. Getdown there.
We are deeply saddened to hear that Paul Jackson, We are deeply saddened to hear that Paul Jackson, owner of The Adelphi Club in Hull, has passed away. Paul was, quite simply, one of the finest grassroots music venue owners this country has ever known. The Adelphi Club is more than a venue. It is a lifeline for artists, a home for communities, and a cornerstone of the UK’s live music ecosystem. That is Paul’s legacy. For decades, he dedicated himself to giving artists a stage, often long before the rest of the UK was paying attention. Generations of musicians found their footing in his venue. Countless fans found belonging there. He held a space that mattered. In 2019, Paul was recognised with Music Venue Trust’s Outstanding Achievement Award at Venues Day, presented by KT Tunstall and Steve Lamacq. It was a moment that captured what so many already knew. His contribution to grassroots music venues was profound, unwavering, and deeply felt across the entire sector. This is a loss that will be felt deeply by all of us at Music Venue Trust who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him. There are very few people who shape culture in the consistent way Paul did. His impact can be measured by the thousands of lives he changed, the scenes he nurtured, and the music he made possible. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone connected to The Adelphi Club. Rest in peace, Paul. Your work will continue to echo from every stage you helped to build.
Huge love to The Lughole in Sheffield, whose commu Huge love to The Lughole in Sheffield, whose community came together in a matter of hours to help the venue hit its fundraising target. The venue have shared: “Everyone at The Lughole would like to give a massive thanks for the overwhelming response we’ve had to our recent fund raiser. The goal we set was smashed in under 5 hours! The punk community we belong to is like no other and we appreciate every one of you. We shall march on together despite the systematic failures that try to keep us down. See you in the pit.” The Lughole is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run venue that’s been supporting Sheffield’s DIY and creative community since opening in 2022. Like many grassroots spaces, it’s now dealing with the real-world impact of how business rates are applied. A backdated valuation left the venue facing several years of charges in one go, including periods before it had even opened. With limited options for relief, the situation escalated to enforcement action, forcing immediate payments that drained reserves and put the venue under serious strain. Their community stepped up, acted fast, and made sure a vital venue could keep its doors open.
Talking with Drowned In Sound founder Sean Adams o Talking with Drowned In Sound founder Sean Adams on this week’s Last Safe Space podcast, we got into the evolving role of music press and online communities in how people discover and share music. How much of that now lives on social media? How much is marketing? How much is still word of mouth? Where do you hear about grassroots shows and emerging artists coming to your town? Let us know. If you're looking for a point in the right direction on this... We have a Gig Guide map of GMVs built into our website at MusicVenueTrust.com powered by Hearby. Go take a look, and also find all our other resources and information you need to arm yourself as a live music activist. 📸 by Georgia Penny
In this episode of The Last Safe Space, Sean Adams In this episode of The Last Safe Space, Sean Adams, founder of the pioneering online music publication Drowned in Sound, joins Toni for a conversation about the role of independent journalism in shaping grassroots music culture. From its beginnings as a late-90s newsletter to becoming one of the most influential music communities of the early internet era, Drowned in Sound helped launch artists, writers and entire scenes. 📺 Watch this episode and catch up on the whole Last Safe Space series on Music Venue Trust’s YouTube, or by following our bio 🔗
MVT welcomes the news that Hackney Council has ref MVT welcomes the news that Hackney Council has refused the first planning application that threatened the future of Moth Club - however, another planning application still looms over this beloved grassroots music venue in East London. Keith Miller from Moth Club says “We finally have some news, the planning application next door to us has been refused, we wholeheartedly welcome this news. It’s the result of a huge amount of hard work from everyone at the venue, the MVT, the NTIA, Save our Scene and all of you, our supporters. You helped make us heard, we did it together. We love you all! But… We’re not fully out of the woods yet, there’s still one adjoining application near the Moth Club we’re fighting against. If we keep pushing and that additional planning is refused, I’m envisaging the greatest party Moth has ever witnessed. Please remember, this isn’t just about Moth Club it’s about every space, in every town or city on the planet.”  MVT now awaits the decision on the other planning application that threatens Moth Club, which is for sub-standard residential units at 6 Morning Lane, backing onto the venue and again with an inadequate consideration for noise impact. MVT hopes that Hackney Council makes the right decision and refuses this one, too.
Sheffield, this is for you. We’ve published a new Sheffield, this is for you. We’ve published a new practical guide focused on grassroots music venues in the city. It looks at how the current network is operating, the pressures venues are facing day to day, and what needs to change to keep them viable. Inside, we cover everything from audience levels and programming to the financial reality of running a venue right now, including business rates, licensing, and the impact of development. It also sets out the role venues play in Sheffield’s wider culture and economy, alongside clear recommendations for local authorities and decision-makers. This is something venues can use. Whether you’re speaking to council, making the case for support, or just trying to understand the landscape you’re operating in, this gives you a solid place to start. Download via our bio 🔗, read it, and use it.
Maniffesto ar gyfer Cerddoriaeth Llawr Gwlad yng N Maniffesto ar gyfer Cerddoriaeth Llawr Gwlad yng Nghymru / A Manifesto for Grassroots Music in Wales ------------------- Ledled Cymru, lleoliadau bychain ydy sylfaen ein diwylliant cerddorol. Dyma lle mae artistiaid ifanc yn dod wyneb yn wyneb â’u cynulleidfaoedd cyntaf; lle mae technegwyr, hyrwyddwyr a rheolwyr yn meithrin a naddu eu crefft, a lle mae cymunedau’n dod ynghyd. O Wrecsam i Abertawe, o Aberteifi i Gaerdydd, y rhain sy’n cynnal economi’r hwyrnos ac enw da’r genedl ar y llwyfan ryngwladol. Bellach, mae gormod o’r rhain yn colli arian. Mae’r rhyddhad ar drethi wedi ei dorri, mae canllawiau diogelu cynllunio yn wan, cysylltiadau trafnidiaeth yn gyfyngedig, ac mae’r nawdd sydd ar gael yn aml yn methu’r union bobl sydd fwyaf ei angen. Gall y Senedd nesaf unioni’r cam hwn. Isadeiledd ydy diwylliant. Diwydiant ydy cerddoriaeth. Mae sicrhau cefnogaeth i’r sylfeini yn diogelu popeth sy’n tarddu ac yn deillio ohoni. ------------------- Across Wales, small venues are the foundation of our music culture. They are where young artists find their first audiences, where technicians, promoters and managers learn their craft, and where communities come together. From Wrexham to Swansea, from Cardigan to Cardiff, they power the night-time economy and the nation’s international reputation. Too many of these rooms are now running at a loss. Rates relief has been cut, planning protections are weak, transport links are limited, and funding often misses the people who need it most. The next Senedd can fix this. Culture is infrastructure. Music is industry. Supporting the base protects everything that grows from it. 🔗 in bio to read in full.
A huge thanks to everyone who joined us at Venues A huge thanks to everyone who joined us at Venues Day 2026 last week. It was a fantastic day where the grassroots music sector got to be in the same room. Venue operators, artists, policymakers, and partners from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - all coming together to talk honestly about the challenges, share solutions, and push the sector forward. But the most important part of Venues Day is always the same thing: the conversations. The new connections made over coffee, the ideas shared in corridors, and the sense that this is a community that shows up for each other. A huge thank you to everyone who travelled from across the UK to be there, to our speakers, our team, and partners who shared their knowledge, and to the venue community that continues to prove how strong this network really is. 📸 by @georgiapennyphoto
The average person in Britain has around £26.99 in The average person in Britain has around £26.99 in loose change or forgotten cash lying around the house. That’s basically two grassroots gig tickets. Stick your hand down the side of the sofa, check the coat you haven't worn for a few years, raid the jam jar on the kitchen shelf… and you and a mate could be out seeing live music tonight. As our Annual Report covered, the average grassroots ticket price last year rose from £11.48 to £11.56. An increase of just 8p. In a time when the cost of almost everything else has surged, grassroots venues have worked incredibly hard to keep live music accessible. So yes, it might feel like loose change. But that £11.56 helps pay the sound engineer, the staff on the door, the electricity bill, and the artists on stage. It keeps venues open and the pipeline of live music alive. A proper night out.. for something you might find down the back of the sofa.
Over the last few months we’ve been sharing ideas Over the last few months we’ve been sharing ideas from The Ethical Venues Project, exploring the values that connect communities and the impact that small decisions can have on belonging, ethics and the role venues play in public life. The project was developed together with Conway Hall. This week on The Last Safe Space podcast via our bio 🔗, we’re joined by Conway Hall’s Jim Walsh to talk about what being an ethical venue means in 2026, and what venues can do to remain welcoming, responsible spaces at the heart of their communities. Because grassroots venues are for everybody. And so making sure they remain safe, inclusive places really matters.
MVT is proud to have partnered with Culture Sheffi MVT is proud to have partnered with Culture Sheffield, Sheffield Independent Venues Alliance, and Sheffield City Council to deliver a Planning Best Practice Guide for grassroots music venues. We’ll be launching the guide next Wednesday 25 March from 6pm at Yellow Arch Studios. Come along and join us to explore how new developments and grassroots venues can successfully co-exist! 🎟️ Grab tickets from the 🔗 in our bio.
If you care about grassroots music venues, everyth If you care about grassroots music venues, everything you need is at MusicVenueTrust.com We’ve spent years building the tools, the data, and the infrastructure to support this sector properly. It’s all public. It’s all accessible. And it’s all there to be used. From the most detailed annual report on grassroots venues anywhere in the world, to regular updates, practical resources, and straight-talking conversations about what’s actually going on... this is the work. To protect venues, and build a stronger future for live music, we all need access to the same tool chest. So take five minutes - Get informed, subscribe to our newsletter and podcast, download the Annual Report, look out for IRL events, and visit our resources pages to see how you can join us. Either as a venue, artist, investor, campaigner, promoter, or supporter.
A huge congratulations to our Outstanding Contribu A huge congratulations to our Outstanding Contribution Award winners at Venues Day 2026. The fantastic Lord Kevin Brennan & Dame Caroline Dinenage MP who continue to fight for grassroots music in parliament and have already spearheaded some phenomenal change for our sector. Thank you both, from everyone at MVT. ✨
For those who haven't downloaded and dissected it For those who haven't downloaded and dissected it yet, we’ll be taking a deep dive into our Annual Report at Venues Day 2026, unpacking the last year across the grassroots music venue sector. We’re at the start of what we believe will be an incredibly important chapter for grassroots venues. But it’s vital that everyone understands the data, the questions, the answers, and the plan for what comes next. Join us as we break it all down and share the information you need to be fully equipped for the year ahead. ⏰ Venues Day starts at 10am Tuesday with registration, coffee and networking, at Shoreditch Town Hall. 👀 Find the Annual Report at MusicVenueTrust.com
Opening May 30 at the V&A, South Kensington, is th Opening May 30 at the V&A, South Kensington, is the Lost Music Venues exhibition - Featuring around 50 ‘lost’ performance spaces from the 1980s to 2010s. The display celebrates music venues as centres of creativity, shining a light on both their cultural contribution and the challenges they face as a sector. So while we're working to protect every last venue we have, we wanted to ask you - which venue hits hardest?
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Music Venue Trust
13 hours ago
Music Venue Trust

Fair licensing fees ensure venues are charged correctly, artists are paid promptly, and the entire music ecosystem functions as it should. These fees exist so that songwriters and composers receive payment when their work is performed in public, which is a fundamental part of how the industry operates.

For venues, this is a standard and accepted cost of putting on live music. But for the system to work properly, those fees need to reflect what is actually happening in the room.

Accuracy matters, so when fees are based on incorrect assumptions or estimates, venues can end up paying more than they should, and the link between performance and payment becomes harder to trace. That doesn’t just impact venue finances, but it also affects how effectively money reaches the artists it is intended for.

Getting this right is in everyone’s interest.

📸 by Georgia Penny Photo

#FairFees #ProtectGrassrootsMusic ... See MoreSee Less

Fair licensing fees ensure venues are charged correctly, artists are paid promptly, and the entire music ecosystem functions as it should. These fees exist so that songwriters and composers receive payment when their work is performed in public, which is a fundamental part of how the industry operates. For venues, this is a standard and accepted cost of putting on live music. But for the system to work properly, those fees need to reflect what is actually happening in the room. Accuracy matters, so when fees are based on incorrect assumptions or estimates, venues can end up paying more than they should, and the link between performance and payment becomes harder to trace. That doesn’t just impact venue finances, but it also affects how effectively money reaches the artists it is intended for. Getting this right is in everyone’s interest. 📸 by Georgia Penny Photo #FairFees #ProtectGrassrootsMusic
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Music Venue Trust
17 hours ago
Music Venue Trust

Raise The Standard, supported by LIVE Trust, is about improving the fundamentals of live music.

We're talking better sound. Better lighting. Better working conditions for artists and crew. And a better experience for audiences in the room.

When venues have the right equipment, everything changes. Performances land properly. Engineers can do their jobs. Bands start on time. They feel more confident. And artists can deliver exactly what they turned up in town to do.

This is what the levy makes possible. Money from the top of the live industry being reinvested into the places that hold it all together. Because if we want a strong live ecosystem, it has to sound right from the very first show.

📸 by Katie Frost ... See MoreSee Less

Raise The Standard, supported by LIVE Trust, is about improving the fundamentals of live music. Were talking better sound. Better lighting. Better working conditions for artists and crew. And a better experience for audiences in the room. When venues have the right equipment, everything changes. Performances land properly. Engineers can do their jobs. Bands start on time. They feel more confident. And artists can deliver exactly what they turned up in town to do. This is what the levy makes possible. Money from the top of the live industry being reinvested into the places that hold it all together. Because if we want a strong live ecosystem, it has to sound right from the very first show. 📸 by Katie FrostImage attachment
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Music Venue Trust
2 days ago
Music Venue Trust

We’re in Northern Ireland today to present the MVT Annual Report 2025 in person.

This report sets out the current picture for grassroots music venues across the UK, and the important details on what we're all doing to move things forward - including new initiatives. It looks at audience numbers, the number of shows taking place, the financial reality of running a venue, and the wider impact these spaces have on local culture and the economy.

In Northern Ireland alone, over 460,000 people attended more than 3,700 grassroots shows last year, contributing nearly £12 million to the local economy. That activity heroically sits on top of venues working with tight margins and increasing costs. ... See MoreSee Less

We’re in Northern Ireland today to present the MVT Annual Report 2025 in person. This report sets out the current picture for grassroots music venues across the UK, and the important details on what were all doing to move things forward - including new initiatives. It looks at audience numbers, the number of shows taking place, the financial reality of running a venue, and the wider impact these spaces have on local culture and the economy. In Northern Ireland alone, over 460,000 people attended more than 3,700 grassroots shows last year, contributing nearly £12 million to the local economy. That activity heroically sits on top of venues working with tight margins and increasing costs.
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Music Venue Trust
2 days ago
Music Venue Trust

Meet Gareth Kelly, our incredible Rights Management Specialist at Music Venue Trust. Gareth is a former senior licensing professional dedicated to ensuring licensing accuracy, fairness, and transparency for grassroots music venues.

Throughout this next week, we will be unpacking vital information on Gareth's work around licensing practices, discrepancies, and their impact on grassroots music venues.

Stay tuned. ... See MoreSee Less

Meet Gareth Kelly, our incredible Rights Management Specialist at Music Venue Trust. Gareth is a former senior licensing professional dedicated to ensuring licensing accuracy, fairness, and transparency for grassroots music venues. Throughout this next week, we will be unpacking vital information on Gareths work around licensing practices, discrepancies, and their impact on grassroots music venues. Stay tuned.
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Music Venue Trust
2 days ago
Music Venue Trust

Today we’re proud to announce more details of our RAISE THE STANDARD project, supported by LIVE Trust.

This is a new programme focused on something simple but critical: the equipment on stage. Sound systems, lighting rigs, backline, microphones. The things that actually make a show work.

Through partnerships with leading manufacturers and suppliers, we’re unlocking direct investment into venues across the UK. Putting real kit, in real rooms, to make a real difference.

Alongside other projects launching in 2026, this is where contributions from arena and stadium shows are going - coming back into the spaces where artists start.

Because the first time you see a band shouldn’t feel like a compromise. Grassroots venues deserve professional-grade equipment.

📸 by Jamie Chapman ... See MoreSee Less

Today we’re proud to announce more details of our RAISE THE STANDARD project, supported by LIVE Trust. This is a new programme focused on something simple but critical: the equipment on stage. Sound systems, lighting rigs, backline, microphones. The things that actually make a show work. Through partnerships with leading manufacturers and suppliers, we’re unlocking direct investment into venues across the UK. Putting real kit, in real rooms, to make a real difference. Alongside other projects launching in 2026, this is where contributions from arena and stadium shows are going - coming back into the spaces where artists start. Because the first time you see a band shouldn’t feel like a compromise. Grassroots venues deserve professional-grade equipment. 📸 by Jamie ChapmanImage attachment
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Music Venue Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, registration no: 1159846.
Music Venue Trust (Scotland) is a charity registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator: Charity Number SC052001
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