Access All AreasOn the back of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee backing the introduction of a levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music venues. Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced the launch of The Artist Pledge; a new campaign calling on artists to commit to help fund grassroots music venues at the point in their careers when they are headlining arenas.
More than 45 artists have signed the pledge, with Enter Shikari donating £1 from every ticket sold for their recent 2024 UK arena tour.
MVT said 16% of the UK’s grassroots music venues closed or ceased to programme new music last year, with the soaring costs of energy, accommodation, staffing, supplies, rent and rates all making it increasingly challenging to stage and play live shows.
The charity has long proposed that every concert ticket sold at arena and stadium level should contain a levy as a financial contribution to the grassroots music venue sector.
Its calls were recently supported by the cross-party Culture Media and Sport Committee of MPs who published a report calling for a levy on all arena and stadium concert tickets.
The Artist Pledge asks artists to pledge that their future success will acknowledge where they came from and contribute a small amount of money back into the grassroots sector, if and when they reach arena level. Among the acts to have signed up are Frank Turner, Snake Eyes, The Luka State, Sister, Red Rum Club and Vigilantes.
MVT campaign & communications lead Toni Coe-Brooker said “We are asking artists today to stand with all of us in the grassroots sector as a show of solidarity.”