There’s a £1 idea that could save small music venues. Is Live Nation holding it back? | Music

gRassroots venues are a cornerstone of the country’s music industry; It gives artists a place to hone their skills and gives punters a place to see them perform up close, possibly ahead of a bigger, more successful career. But since the beginning of 2023, more than one 150 of these places Around 16% of the UK industry has closed its doors permanently.

In this moment of crisis, a solution is on the table: a proposed £1 tax on tickets for all arena and stadium shows with a capacity of more than 5,000 could raise up to £25 million a year for grassroots venues at risk of closure. a survey approximately 8,000 music fans It found that 93% of respondents supported the Music Venue Trust charity’s initiative, and a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said it was “fully supportive” of its rollout.

Over the past year, major artists such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Pulp, Diana Ross, Katy Perry and Radiohead have participated in this campaign, as well as venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and ticket platform Tixel. Sam Fender’s 2024 arena tour has raised more than £100,000 through levy, which was recently distributed to 38 independent venues. “The idea that money from shows at big venues supports the smaller venues where it all started for musicians like me is common sense,” Fender said.

However, there is still a large financing gap. More than 22 million of 24.2 million eligible tickets for concerts in 2025 have been sold without a £1 contribution, according to industry data shared with . Guard. Although the initial chart for 2026 shows positive momentum with uptake rising to 28%, this still means millions are missing out on potential support. “The industry is very good at adding fees where the company adding the fee is the beneficiary, but it’s not very efficient when the money is for the wider ecosystem,” says Mark Davyd, chief executive of the Music Venue Trust.

Steve Dix, of Hackney venue Paper Dress Vintage, supports the tax as an important step in stabilizing grassroots venues across the country and is upfront about what he sees as its main hurdle. “Some of the big players like AEG Presents, SJM and Kilimanjaro Live have already stepped up and shown real leadership,” he says, referring to the three major promoters of arena and stadium concerts. “But the truth is, to the greatest [promoter] If Live Nation around the world does the same, progress will fall behind. Their involvement is the missing piece that will transform this from a promising initiative to an industry standard.”

Live Nation controls 66% of the major event ticket market in the UK by 2025, either directly or through subsidiaries such as Ticketmaster, according to data submitted to the government’s Business and Trade Committee by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). In May, former creative industries minister Sir Chris Bryant said A call was made to Live Nation “taking action” on the adoption of the tax and “assistance with Ticketmaster and… any of the actions they represent.” Bryant also called for more artists to sign up for the tax, suggesting the government would act “if this is not going to continue” and enshrine the £1 tax in law.

But Davyd claims a statutory government tax would be a “blunt instrument”, would take years to become law and would run the risk of funds being misdirected. In contrast, he argues that the voluntary model “can be implemented very quickly and deployed very effectively.” A spokesman for experimental venue The White Hotel in Salford agrees: “As soon as the government gets involved in anything, you know they’re going to do it on pig’s ear.” (DCMS did not comment on this criticism.)

Money is already making a difference on the field. For example, Fender’s donation was distributed through the following address: Live Line Fund – a Music Venue Trust and Save Our Stage initiative – allowing venues such as Paper Dress Vintage to replace a broken mixing desk, repairing Glasgow Sub Club’s iconic “bodysonic” dance floor and providing “vital” financial support to The White Hotel. This fund is a pioneer of this. Live TrustA charity set up by the wider industry as the official administrator of the £1 levy in January 2025 will begin distributing funds in February 2026.

Live Nation did not respond directly when asked if it would actually “boost” and add a £1 tax to all the major concerts it promotes, but confirmed that “supporting new talent is vital to the future of music” and that it is “proud to support emerging artists and grassroots venues”.

The £1 tax has its critics. Some argue the cost should not be passed on to fans who are already facing rising ticket prices. “There has been a mixed reaction,” says Sub Club general manager Mike Grieve, noting the feeling that “major concert promoters are already asking customers to dig deep to pay for tickets.”

However, he says the additional funding is a “huge help” for smaller operators, particularly as razor-thin margins hinder their ability to book lesser-known or experimental acts. “It has become unsustainable for promoters to take any creative risks,” he adds.

Davyd suggests that when a promoter contacts a ticket company to sell tickets, the ticket company should ask whether the absence of the £1 tax is a deliberate choice or an accidental omission. But Davyd says “it’s hard to see how legal taxes can be avoided” without assuming leadership of Live Nation. “If the market leader in an industry refuses to do what is currently government policy, we should expect the government to take different action.”