Over half of UK grassroots music venues didn’t make a profit in 2025
The new figures come courtesy of the Music Venue Trust's annual report.
By Nick Reilly
More than half (53%) of grassroots music venues (GMVs) didn’t make any profit last year, new figures from the Music Venue Trust (MVT) reveal.
The tough outlook comes from the charity’s annual report, published last night, which highlighted that 30 grassroots venues shut their doors for good in 2025, despite the sector contributing more than £500 million to the economy.
A further 6000 roles in grassroots venues were cut, which marks the sharpest drop since the MVT began collating data for their annual reports.
The MVT says a major factor behind this is governmental changes to national insurance and business rates and a failure to act upon proposed plans to boost the sector.
Mark Davyd, MVT chief executive and founder, said: “The future of British music depends on stabilising and rebuilding the grassroots touring network.
“For 10 years, Music Venue Trust has explored the best ideas from around the world, worked with our sector to understand what would make the biggest difference to them, and brought forward innovative, groundbreaking ideas that we can now deliver practically.”
But there was good news too. The number of people attending gigs at a grassroots level rose by 13%, with 21 million fans attending eshows in 2025.
The average cost of a ticket at the venues also remained the same, rising just eight pence from £11.48 to £11.56. Similarly, the rate of venue decline has slowed to 1.2%, the lowest level since 2018.
But Davyd also warned that there needed to be further adoption of the grassroots levy, which sees larger gigs giving a cut of profits towards the MVT. Both Coldplay and Katy Perry were major backers of the measure in 2025. Coldplay donated ten percent of profits from their shows in London and Hull last year, while Katy Perry donated a pound from every ticket.
Mr Davyd said: “This is no longer just about rescue, it is about working with our partners and colleagues, including the crucial role to be played by the Live Trust (the charity which collects the funds raised by the levy), to deliver investment and reform that restores the infrastructure that music careers are built on.
“The arrival of grassroots levy funding in 2026 will provide the opportunity to take a radical new approach and that is exactly what we intend to do.
“We have reached the limits of what venues can absorb on margins of 2.5%. This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities. It now needs permanent protection, structural reform and leadership that recognises grassroots venues as essential national infrastructure.
“That obviously needs to come in the form of a coherent strategy from Government, but they are not the sole solution.
“The music industry itself is in the last chance saloon with regards to the levy; if voluntary industry action does not deliver by June 2026, the Government must legislate.”
The MVT also plans to introduce programmes such as Venue MOT, which will allow independent venues to access experts who will tell them where to strengthen financially.
Last year, Sam Fender was widely praised after he donated his £25,000 prize from winning the Mercury Prize to the Music Venue Trust.