U.K. VENUES DEMAND SUPPORT PACKAGE

The Music Venue Trust has warned that without an immediate cash injection of £50m from the British Government, music venues will face mass closure in July, August and September. The org estimates that 90% of U.K. venues and festivals are at risk of permanent collapse as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

MVT is asking for a sector-specific rescue package that also includes a one-off cut in VAT on ticket sales for the next three years for venues and promoters.

“When we eventually emerge from lockdown, grassroots music venues, the absolute bedrock, the foundations, the cornerstone on which our world-beating £5.2b per year industry has been built, are going to be essential to live music bouncing back,” MVT CEO Mark Dayvd said. “It is therefore economically short-sighted and frankly ridiculous to put a £5b a year industry at long-term risk for lack of a short term £50m investment.”

Music Venue Trust launched its #saveourvenues campaign in April, which has so far raised more than £2m to help support grassroots music venues through the crisis.

Dayvd added: “The generosity shown towards our #saveourvenues campaign since we launched it in April has been staggering. The £2m we have raised to date has saved literally hundreds of venues in the short term, but the situation is still dire and relying on donations simply isn’t sustainable as we move into a recovery phase. With that in mind let's act now and protect what we have.”