A new survey has revealed that 93 per cent of music fans in the UK agreed that £1 from every arena ticket sold should go towards grassroots music venues.
This comes after a panel of representatives from Live Music Exchange, Music Venue Trust, and National Arenas Association gathered in March 2024 to propose the ticket levy. 125 venues were lost in 2023, prompting the movement.
Of the 8,000 people who took part in the recent survey, more than 30 per cent belong to the 18-35-year-old bracket, while more than 40 per cent are between 25 and 54 years old.
The survey also found that 99 per cent of participants believe live music events are an essential part of UK culture, while 7 in 10 people said they enjoy supporting their local music scene.
Not surprisingly, 58 per cent of participants have experienced the loss of a significant venue or nightclub locally since 2020.
The new survey comes after Mumford and Sons announced last month that they will donate £1 to the new grassroots music charity Live Trust for every ticket sold on their upcoming tour, which will kick off later this year.
Live Trust is a new charity launched to offer financial support to those working in the live music industry. During its infancy, it will first focus on supporting the grassroots sector of the industry.
The band’s support of the music charity follows similar initiatives from other acts on their own tours. Sam Fender also donated £1 for every ticket sold to the Music Venue Trust on his most recent UK tour in December 2024.
Recently, Far Out‘s Music Editor, Tom Taylor, wrote of the importance of independent venues: “Live music venues are not just ‘businesses’ – which is the mode in which they are currently being presented – but establishments that provide a service every bit as vital as the only four remaining strongholds clinging to any kind of funding: the NHS, schools, policing and the army.”
The full survey results are available to view here.
