Think of the biggest names in UK music – Lewis Capaldi, Stormzy, Wolf Alice – and you’ll find careers that can be traced back to Britain’s grassroots music venues (GMVs). As venues fall like dominoes, with 20 per cent of the industry workforce losing their jobs in 2025, we risk wiping out these launch pads for homegrown underground talent too.
This summer, The Independent is putting independent music venues front and centre. In partnership with the Music Venue Trust, we will be highlighting eight grassroots venues from across the UK, speaking to the people in charge about what it really takes to run an independent music venue in 2026. If you’re feeling hungry, you’re in luck. Today, we’re off to Voodoo Daddy’s Showroom in Norwich for pizza, retro video games, and (you guessed it!) plenty of live music.
