‘We’re not the Ritz, obviously’: Meet the team behind lively Newcastle venue The Lubber Fiend

‘Venues like ours are struggling with rising costs and lower disposable incomes of the people who do come. When you add that to people drinking less, it becomes really difficult’ - (Mark Buchannan)

When the Music Venue Trust released its 2025 annual report into the state of the UK live music venue earlier this year, its findings were disappointing, if not surprising. More than half of the UK music scene’s grassroots venues failed to turn a profit, with 6,000 jobs and 30 entire venues being lost over the year.

The threat to the UK music scene that the closure of grassroots music venues (GMVs) ushers in cannot be ignored. That’s what’s inspired The Independent to team up with the Music Venue Trust once more and relaunch its Main Stage. This summer, The Independent will be showing you eight grassroots venues from across the UK, speaking to the people in charge about what it takes to run an independent music venue in 2026, and what makes it worth it.