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The Latest Breaking News from Mark Davyd

‘It’s more than backcombing a beehive!’ How tribute acts got massive – and put the live music scene back in the black

Versions of Amy Winehouse and hundreds of other musicians are generating millions for beleaguered UK venues. But what is the emotional toll for the imitators, and are they pushing out original artists?

The Guardian - UK

Business rate cuts must be matched for the rest of the UK – charity

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced rates will be cut by 20% for pubs, clubs and live music venues across England from April next year,

Evening Standard

‘This keeps the dream alive’: the bands sleeping at venues to make touring work

A new UK scheme is encouraging venues to provide accommodation for touring acts. But what if someone hurls a TV through a window?

The Guardian - UK

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“I urge them to reconsider and step up to help the next generation of talent”: Minister’s message to Live Nation’s dawdling over £1 arena and stadium levy

Otherwise, the government will legislate, says Ian Murray

MusicRadar

“This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection”: Annual Music Venue Trust report reveals sector is “fragile” and “one shock away from a crisis”

CEO calls on government to make grassroots levy mandatory

MusicRadar

Wednesday briefing: Can we afford to be optimistic about grassroots music venues?

In today’s newsletter: Music spaces are welcoming bigger crowds again, but the industry remains fragile as rising costs and shrinking local circuits threaten the next generation of talent

The Guardian - UK

More than half of grassroots music venues did not make money in 2025 – charity

The Music Venue Trust found that despite contributing over half a billion pounds to the UK economy, grassroots music venues in the UK are struggling.

Evening Standard

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UK’s biggest concert arenas face huge tax hikes sparking ticket price fears

London’s O2 Arena and the Co-op Live in Manchester are among the venues facing substantial increases

The Independent UK

Who’d be a musician in London? How creativity in the capital faces a perfect storm

From soaring costs and closing venues to labels taking no risks – the next generation of musicians are struggling to be heard

Evening Standard

Coldplay to donate 10% of band earnings from 2025 UK tour to Music Venue Trust

Charity says band are a perfect example of an act that rose through the grassroots circuit and their support ‘really will stop venues closing’

The Guardian - UK

‘The business is no longer sustainable’: the inside story of how Tory cuts devastated the arts

From cinema programmers to orchestra CEOs, figures across the arts world reveal what 14 years of Tory rule has done to the sector – and whether a change of government would improve anything

The Guardian - UK

MPs call for levy on arena concert tickets to raise funds for struggling small venues

Trade bodies welcome proposal from cross-party culture committee that would prop up grassroots gig venues without passing cost to consumers

The Guardian - UK

What is the ticket tax MPs are proposing?

Billie Eilish and MPs have backed the idea – now charity wants all massive concerts to give something back

Evening Standard

Concert arenas urged to add £1 ticket levy to help small UK venues

Industry leaders say crisis-hit grassroots spaces are struggling to stay open as costs rise

The Guardian - UK

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The Guardian - UK

‘The whole ecosystem is collapsing’: inside the crisis in Britain’s live music scene

While giant promoters rake in billions, smaller venues are struggling to make ends meet – even when gigs are selling out. We go on tour to find a glimmer of hope

Evening Standard

London's grassroots music venues are in crisis – how do we save them?

A new annual report from the grassroots charity Music Venues Trust makes for deeply concerning reading – amid mounting costs, 125 venues were forced to close down in 2023.

The Guardian - UK

Bath music venue Moles and Nozstock festival close due to cost of living crisis

‘Live music at grassroots level is no longer economically viable’ says co-owner of the cherished gig venue

The Guardian - UK

‘Costs are out of control’: small UK music venues struggle to stay open

Music Venue Trust says 127 grassroots sites have closed or stopped offering music since last summer

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Evening Standard

Is it lights out for Brixton Academy?

From The Clash to Rihanna, the legendary venue has hosted them all. Then tragedy struck and it closed. Shannon Mahanty looks at whether it will remain shut forever

The Guardian - UK

‘It’s no good if gigs become the preserve of the posh’ – the crisis facing live music in Britain

Who will fill Britain’s eight new arenas now ticket prices are soaring? Is it true many bands would earn more stacking shelves? And how can official Taylor Swift tickets cost £4,000? Our writer investigates

The Guardian - UK

Music venues threatened by energy crisis as well as slow pandemic recovery, say campaigners

Music Venue Trust says grassroots venues have not fully recovered from pandemic lockdowns, and now face skyrocketing inflation including a 25% rise in ticket prices

Manchester Evening News

The 'common-sense' solution to Night & Day noise complaints

Manchester council should buy the flat next door to Night & Day following complaints about noise from the Northern Quarter venue which are being challenged in court, a music industry boss has said

The Guardian - UK

‘We don’t want money going to private landlords’: UK music venues turn to community ownership

As they try to rebuild after Covid, some gig venues are being put into the hands of locals – and many owners say this speeds up improvements and ensures long-term success

Wales Online

Welsh music venues to be bought by fans to protect them 'forever'

'In the next 10 years we’d like to acquire 200 venues through the scheme and create a democratic shared ownership of the music community'

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