Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroot music venues.

Grassroots music venues are vital to the UK’s music culture, offering emerging artists a platform, supporting local economies and jobs, and giving thousands the joy of live music up close. We are committed to supporting the sustainability of the entire live music ecosystem and will soon publish a Music Plan, drawing together all that the government is doing to support the music industry.

The Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan announced our Music Growth Package to strengthen grassroots infrastructure (including grassroots music venues), support emerging artists and music professionals, and boost exports, breaking down barriers to success at home and abroad. In addition, since April every pub and live music venue has received 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget, and bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years.

The Government also supports the live music industry’s work to introduce a voluntary £1 contribution on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector. We welcome steps taken by industry to set up the LIVE Trust to distribute funds from the ticket levy, and commitments made by artists to support grassroots music. The trust has distributed over £500k levy funding to industry programmes and is projected to receive a total of £10m in 2026.