(Left to Right) Emma Bownes Senior Vice President, Venue Programming at AEG Europe, Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust and Jane Beese, Director of Music, Factory International and Music Venue Trust trustee (photo credit: @photoswotitook)

The O2 and Music Venue Trust Forge Landmark Commitment to Fuel Future Talent

Venue Pledges Direct Financial Support for Grassroots Music Venues in Recognition of Every First-Time Arena Headliner

The O2 and Music Venue Trust (MVT), the charity which represents hundreds of Grassroots Music Venues across the UK, today announce a groundbreaking new commitment that formally recognises the essential role of the grassroots circuit in creating the future headliners for the UK’s world-leading live music scene.

The pioneering initiative will see The O2 make a direct donation to Music Venue Trust each time a new artist headlines the arena for the first time as part of a wider three-year commitment. This ensures that the grassroots ecosystem, which nurtures artists in the early stages of their careers, receives tangible, ongoing support from the very venues that later host their success.

This year alone, The O2 has hosted over 50 first-time performers and is making an initial six-figure donation to Music Venue Trust in celebration of this record milestone. This single donation underscores the volume of talent flowing from small stages to the arena and highlights the critical need for a sustainable pipeline.

Artists who have graduated from the grassroots network to make their debut at The O2 in the last year include Gracie Abrams, Pulp, Architects and Wolf Alice, all of whom honed their craft on stages at venues within the Music Venues Alliance.

Ben Lovett, Mumford & Sons

“This week we will play two shows at The O2. Whilst this might not be the first time we’re headlining the arena, it doesn’t make it any less special to be able to come to our hometown and headline a couple of nights in one of the best arenas in the world. Our first time taking to this iconic stage was in 2012, back when many of the venues where we had cut our teeth, including the Luminaire in Kilburn where we played our first headline show, had started closing down. This trend has only continued, in London and across the country, and we have done everything we can to protect the essential grassroots scene; lobbying various sitting governments, trying to educate anyone who’d listen to the fact that artists don’t just arrive in these arenas from nowhere. We’ve played countless shows in these smaller rooms ever since, encouraged our fans to support and actioned the £1 per ticket levy on this current tour, generously supported by our audience.

I’ve personally invested into the Music Venue Properties initiative as well as continuing to support Music Venue Trust and a host of similar organisations over recent years. I have even built and operated venues around London and further afield in an effort to brace against the rising tide of the issue. All to say, we couldn’t care more about the essential work of small venues up and down the country and we think it’s brilliant that a venue like The O2 is making a meaningful donation, tied to their “first-time headliner” model to contribute, as we all should, towards a more sustainable ecosystem within live music in the future.”

Emma Bownes, SVP, Venue Programming, AEG Europe

“The O2 is proud to support the UK’s live music ecosystem, starting with the small stages in local communities. Every artist who headlines The O2 for the first time reflects the strength of that grassroots network. By partnering with Music Venue Trust, we’re investing in the pipeline that nurtures the next generation of breakthrough artists and ensures they have a place to start.”

Mark Davyd, CEO, Music Venue Trust

“This is a hugely significant and welcome move from The O2. The success of our arenas is directly connected to the health of the Grassroots Venues where so many of those headliners began their journey. This partnership sets a powerful new benchmark for the industry, proving that major venues can actively participate in securing the future of the talent pipeline. Our challenge to every other arena in the UK is simple: The O2 has taken a lead, now it’s your chance to follow.”

The commitment represents a major step forward in uniting the live music industry, from the smallest stages to the largest, to create a more resilient and sustainable future for UK music.