Good Show and Music Venue Trust Announce Wide-Ranging Initiative to Support Grassroots Music Venues

Good Show, an independent ticketing platform designed exclusively for Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) and live music promoters, has announced a new initiative with Music Venue Trust (MVT), aimed at protecting the future of the sector.

GMV’s offer artists the opportunity to find audiences, hone their skills and helps produce the headliners of tomorrow, and with significant numbers now closing, festivals, arenas and stadiums are facing a long-term shortage of performers as a result of this emerging talent lacking a platform to develop their craft.

With 16% of the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues having closed in the last 12 months at a rate of two per week, due to mounting operational costs and other challenges, Good Show has announced a comprehensive package of mentoring support, which will include advice on marketing, financial management and event planning.

The company will also offer direct financial support to these venues by sharing 50% of its booking fee with them and will introduce an optional in-purchase ticket levy, which will allow music fans to donate £1 to the Music Venue Trust’s Pipeline Investment Fund, a key source of revenue and support for GMVs.

Adam Stewart, Co-Founder of Good Show

“To witness first-hand the increasingly difficult situation that these small independent venues are in, is heart breaking. We are a small independent business and are proud to be completely independent, which is an ethos runs through the core of everything we do. That’s why we created the Good Show ticketing platform, to offer an effective support package exclusively to these venues and promoters. It also makes complete sense to support the MVT with the great work they have been doing for many years, and as we grow, we aim to support MVT more and more.”

The Booking Hall, Independent Music Venue, Dover, Kent

“We were involved in the building and design of the Good Show ticketing platform and have sold all of our tickets though it since its launch last year. We have seen significantly increased revenues as a result and the 50% booking fee rebate initiative now covers half of our annual rent. The option to donate to MVT’s Pipeline Investment Fund at checkout has also been well received by users. MVT have been a big help to The Booking Hall over the years, and we look forward to supporting this important initiative moving forward.”

Mark Davyd , CEO, MVT

“127 Grassroots Music Venues have closed in the last 12 months – more than one is permanently closing every week.

We need collective effort from the government, the music industry, artists, and fans to prevent further closures and reverse this alarming trend. This is a great move by an independent ticket agent that knows the value of the grassroots music sector. MVT is grateful to the Good Show team for putting it in place.”