We speak to Music Venue Trust's Mark Davyd about the campaigning successes of 2024, and his hopes for the coming year for grassroots music.
It’s been a tough year for many within the UK grassroots music scene, with 2024 seeing the continuation of a worrying trend of closures. However, 2025 begins with a renewed sense of optimism after the Government instructed live music industry leaders to initiate a voluntary levy on all stadium and arena tickets to help support grassroots venues. Progress must be made by the end of the first quarter, with the Government insinuating that a mandatory charge could be imposed if the sector does not show willing.
Major players such as Live Nation and acts like Katy Perry have made financial pledges towards grassroots music during the final months of the year in what is a sign of changing times.
Music Venue Trust has played a vital role in the development of the levy, having been a staunch advocate for the importance of the grassroots venues within an ecosystem that reaches up to sell-outs at Wembley Stadium or Co-op Live. We asked the charity’s chief executive, Mark Davyd, to give us his take on developments during 2024 and what he hopes can be achieved in 2025…
A breakthrough year
How would you sum up 2024 for Music Venue Trust and its campaigns?
Mark Davyd: “It’s been a breakthrough year for the charity, with longstanding campaigns on things like the levy, business rate review, transport, licensing and agent of change all taking major steps forwards.
“The biggest milestones of the year all related to the levy concept though. When we started the campaign to address the lack of financial support for the grassroots we were very much the lone voice imagining that a better and more sustainable model was achievable. We are ending the year as one of a number of trade bodies campaigning on this issue, and with a CMS Select Committee report, an incredibly supportive response from Government, a letter detailing that a timetable that Government expects to see this done by, and a Government meeting including all the major decision makers under our belts.
“From an idea that couldn’t ever possibly happen, we now have a date in 2025, March 31, when the Government expects to see it done by or they will act to make it happen.”
Has the progress made during 2024 been expected?
MD: “Once the CMS Select Committee inquiry was announced in October 2023, we were confident its investigations would lead it to this conclusion. And we were confident about that because we have spent many years building the case, informing the sector, gathering and publishing data.
“Once you can see the clear facts surrounding the grassroots sector, the need for a levy becomes incredibly obvious. It’s a sensible solution from which everyone benefits, and nobody loses.
“Data is key to making any good argument, but I should also praise the dogged determination of my team, who simply weren’t prepared to let this opportunity go.”
Tough economic climate
Heading into 2025, what do you hope has been achieved for the MVT and levy by this time next year?
MD: “The levy will take time to land directly into the pockets of grassroots artists, venues and promoters, and most likely it will be towards the tail end of the forthcoming year or even into 2026 before we really start to see its impact. That leaves us with a very tough economic climate for the whole grassroots sector in 2025, compounded by the unintended consequences of a budget that has significantly raised premises and employment taxes on venues already struggling to keep the doors open.
“2024 was the busiest year ever for our team that supports venues in crisis. Regrettably we see 2025 as even more challenging, but we are determined to keep venues open, artists on tour, and promoters in the business, through until 2026 when changes to Business Rates and the introduction of the levy will finally start to correct the problems in the grassroots sector.”
It’s a love of music that saw you become involved in this sector and ultimately taking up your role with MVT. Tell us about the live music events you have most enjoyed during 2024.
MD: “Any show with Frank Turner or The Meffs on the line up is going to be an exceptional night out, and this year I was lucky to see both of them on the same bill. Ed Harcourt at Lafayette was a masterclass in brilliant songwriting, showmanship and crowd interaction. His album, El Magnifico, is very aptly titled and it only improved by being performed live.
“Panic Over at the Ulster Social Club was a revelation, really showing the enthusiasm for live music that continues to exist in our towns and cities, and no year is complete without at least one Divine Comedy show.
“I could carry on for another paragraph or two, because this really is a golden age for the quality of live music out there, even if it’s getting increasingly hard to make the economics stack up.”
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