The UK's Creative Industries Minister has called on Live Nation to “step up” and help Britain’s ailing grassroots music scene by paying into the arena and stadium levy, and said that a failure to do so will force the government to make it mandatory.
The minister Ian Murray was speaking to NME about the levy – a £1 surcharge on tickets for arena and stadium gigs that goes back to supporting grassroots venues. It is needed because of the ongoing crisis in UK live music, which we’re sure you’re all aware of – in the year to July 2025, we lost 30 grassroots venues in the UK and 6,000 jobs, with half of the venues that remain surviving on zero profit.
