Music Venue Trust Announce Details Of Venues Day 2026

‘This One Goes to Eleven’ scheduled for 17th March in London

“Venues Day 2026 will mark a real turning point for our sector”

The UK’s national networking event for Grassroots Music Venues will return in 2026 with a renewed focus on delivery, skills and long-term sustainability.

Venues Day 2026, organised by Music Venue Trust, will be titled ‘This One Goes to Eleven’ and takes place on Tuesday 17th March 2026 at Shoreditch Town Hall in London, marking the 11th edition of the annual event and the beginning of a new chapter for the sector.

For the first time, Venues Day will be held in spring, allowing the event to respond directly to the findings of Music Venue Trust’s Annual Report 2025 and to build momentum behind the major initiatives announced in January aimed at improving, not just protecting, the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs).

Running from 10am–6pm, the full-day programme will place practical support at its core, with panels, presentations, workshops and one-to-one meetings designed to help members of the Music Venues Alliance operate more efficiently and implement tangible improvements within their venues. Attendees will also have access to MVT’s “Gurus” -specialists addressing the operational, financial and existential challenges facing GMVs -alongside extensive networking opportunities throughout the day and into the evening.

Beverley Whitrick, COO, MVT

“Venues Day 2026 marks a real turning point for our sector. Over the past decade we’ve fought hard to protect Grassroots Music Venues and secure recognition of their cultural and economic value. Now the challenge is to improve them, making venues more sustainable, more resilient and better places to work and perform. This year’s event is designed to give venue operators the practical tools, knowledge and support they need to make those improvements a reality.”

Keynote speakers include Dame Caroline Dinenage and Lord Kevin Brennan, longstanding champions of grassroots music. Both will provide updates on progress since the announcement of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Inquiry into Grassroots Music Venues at Venues Day 2023.

The shift in focus reflects Music Venue Trust’s evolving strategy. Having spent the past decade securing recognition and emergency protections for GMVs, the organisation is now prioritising long-term improvement across infrastructure, operations and working conditions. As such, the 2026 event is positioned as essential for venue operators, partners, promoters, agents, policymakers and stakeholders across the live music ecosystem.
Demand for the event is already strong, with a significant percentage of tickets already sold during the members’ pre-sale. General tickets are now on sale here.

Music Venue Trust has confirmed Ticketmaster as headline sponsor for Venues Day 2026. Ticketmaster has supported the event since 2015, becoming headline sponsor in 2016, and was the first UK ticketing company to introduce a bespoke ticketing package for Grassroots Music Venues. Thanks to this continued support, Music Venues Alliance members can access free tickets and travel bursaries, ensuring participation is not limited by geography or budget across MVT’s network of more than 800 UK venues.

Sarah Slater, Managing Director, Ticketmaster UK

“Behind almost every global success story is a journey that began at a Grassroots Venue. These are the places where artists and audiences first connect, so it’s critical we all do our bit to protect them. That’s why we’re proud to support an event that is not only focused on venue survival, but on practical improvement – giving venue operators the tools, skills and confidence needed to help build the future of Grassroots Music.”

Additional headline sponsors for 2026 include Most Wanted, Marshall, Fred Perry and Jack Daniel’s.

The full event schedule is now available here, with further announcements on panels, speakers, workshops and presentations to follow in the coming weeks.