Small music venues are the lifeblood of the UK’s music scene. They are where artists like Ed Sheeran, Olivia Dean, and The Last Dinner Party got their start. Yet, many of these venues are struggling to survive. The Music Venue Trust (MVT) reports that 53% of grassroots venues did not make a profit in 2025.
Last year, 30 venues closed, including well-known spots like Liverpool’s Zanzibar and Leicester’s The Shed, which supported acts such as Kasabian and nurtured the local punk and metal scene. Around 6,000 jobs, nearly 20% of the sector’s workforce, were lost.
Despite these challenges, some numbers are encouraging. Attendance at grassroots gigs rose 13%, with 21 million fans going to shows. Ticket prices stayed almost the same, rising just eight pence to £11.56. Venue closures slowed to 1.2%, the lowest rate since 2018.
The cost of living crisis has made selling tickets more difficult. Kathryn McShane, director of Belfast’s Black Box, explained that fans have less disposable income, and the growing expense of large arena shows reduces money available for smaller gigs.
For venues hosting international acts, travel costs are also a challenge. To make ends meet, Black Box has started renting its space during the day for corporate events, workshops, and community activities. McShane also suggested larger concert venues support smaller ones, similar to how sports teams invest in their local communities.
The MVT is promoting a £1 levy on tickets for arena shows with over 5,000 attendees. If implemented, this could generate up to £25 million a year to support struggling grassroots venues. Artists like Pulp, Coldplay, Wolf Alice, Katy Perry, and Ed Sheeran have already contributed, while Sam Fender donated his Mercury Prize winnings. Major venues, including the Royal Albert Hall and the O2 Arena, have joined the initiative, and the government supports it.
Davyd is cautiously optimistic about the future. He emphasized that small venues rarely make significant money but act as crucial incubators for future stars. Supporting them is an investment in the UK’s cultural and economic growth.
