Music Venue Trust Report Delivers Concerning Numbers for UK Grassroots Scene

The organization represents hundreds of independent venues throughout the UK

Music Venue Trust (MVT) has released its latest annual report. There are significant concerns within the findings regarding venue closures and lack of profits, but there are also reasons to be optimistic, such as the new levy funding from major tours.

The numbers:

The grassroots scene adds over £500 million annually to the UK economy.
Grassroots venues operate on an average of 2.5% profits.
There are 801 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
53% of those venues showed no profit in 2025.
6,000 workers lost their jobs last year due to factors such as government changes to insurance rates.
30 venues closed in 2025.
175 towns throughout the UK no longer host major touring acts.
475 of the venues don't host any shows from large-scale promoters.

The response:

This year, a £1 levy will be applied to many major tours. Meaning £1 of every ticket sold will be donated to support grassroots venues.
Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Gorillaz, Katy Perry, and Lorde have all agreed to the levy.
8.8% of tickets from tours at this level included some version of the levy in 2025. Many more tours will include the levy this year.
MVT will also invest £2 million directly into programs designed to avoid closures and support the grassroots scene.
Some of them are Venue MOT, Off The Grid, Stay The Night, and Raise The Standard. Together, these organizations work towards reducing operating costs so venues can remain financially solvent long-term.
MVT has also called for government actions such as the creation of a Live Music Commission and tax reform.

What they said:

Mark Davyd, MVT CEO and Founder: “We have reached the limits of what venues can absorb on margins of 2.5%. This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection, structural reform, and leadership that recognises grassroots venues as essential national infrastructure. That obviously needs to come in the form of a coherent strategy from government, but they are not the sole solution. The music industry itself is in the last chance saloon with regards to the levy; if voluntary industry action does not deliver by June 2026, the government must legislate.”

The numbers:

The grassroots scene adds over £500 million annually to the UK economy.
Grassroots venues operate on an average of 2.5% profits.
There are 801 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
53% of those venues showed no profit in 2025.
6,000 workers lost their jobs last year due to factors such as government changes to insurance rates.
30 venues closed in 2025.
175 towns throughout the UK no longer host major touring acts.
475 of the venues don't host any shows from large-scale promoters.

The response:

This year, a £1 levy will be applied to many major tours. Meaning £1 of every ticket sold will be donated to support grassroots venues.
Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Gorillaz, Katy Perry, and Lorde have all agreed to the levy.
8.8% of tickets from tours at this level included some version of the levy in 2025. Many more tours will include the levy this year.
MVT will also invest £2 million directly into programs designed to avoid closures and support the grassroots scene.
Some of them are Venue MOT, Off The Grid, Stay The Night, and Raise The Standard. Together, these organizations work towards reducing operating costs so venues can remain financially solvent long-term.
MVT has also called for government actions such as the creation of a Live Music Commission and tax reform.

What they said:

Mark Davyd, MVT CEO and Founder: “We have reached the limits of what venues can absorb on margins of 2.5%. This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection, structural reform, and leadership that recognises grassroots venues as essential national infrastructure. That obviously needs to come in the form of a coherent strategy from government, but they are not the sole solution. The music industry itself is in the last chance saloon with regards to the levy; if voluntary industry action does not deliver by June 2026, the government must legislate.”

The numbers:

The grassroots scene adds over £500 million annually to the UK economy.
Grassroots venues operate on an average of 2.5% profits.
There are 801 grassroots venues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
53% of those venues showed no profit in 2025.
6,000 workers lost their jobs last year due to factors such as government changes to insurance rates.
30 venues closed in 2025.
175 towns throughout the UK no longer host major touring acts.
475 of the venues don't host any shows from large-scale promoters.

The response:

This year, a £1 levy will be applied to many major tours. Meaning £1 of every ticket sold will be donated to support grassroots venues.
Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Gorillaz, Katy Perry, and Lorde have all agreed to the levy.
8.8% of tickets from tours at this level included some version of the levy in 2025. Many more tours will include the levy this year.
MVT will also invest £2 million directly into programs designed to avoid closures and support the grassroots scene.
Some of them are Venue MOT, Off The Grid, Stay The Night, and Raise The Standard. Together, these organizations work towards reducing operating costs so venues can remain financially solvent long-term.
MVT has also called for government actions such as the creation of a Live Music Commission and tax reform.

What they said:

Mark Davyd, MVT CEO and Founder: “We have reached the limits of what venues can absorb on margins of 2.5%. This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection, structural reform, and leadership that recognises grassroots venues as essential national infrastructure. That obviously needs to come in the form of a coherent strategy from government, but they are not the sole solution. The music industry itself is in the last chance saloon with regards to the levy; if voluntary industry action does not deliver by June 2026, the government must legislate.”