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Bumper edition of IQ Magazine out now

IQ 133, the 156-page, biggest-ever issue of the international live music industry’s leading magazine, is available to read online now.

With the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) fast approaching, the February 2025 issue reveals the full agenda for the sold-out 37th edition.

ITB co-founder Barry Dickins is honoured as part of The Architects – a new series celebrating the pioneers who built the foundations for the modern global business – and DF Concerts chief Geoff Ellis celebrates 40 years in the business.

The bumper edition also looks at the growing influence of African artists, legislative moves internationally to tackle resale, and the growing trend of artists broadcasting concert films.

Readers can enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at James Blunt’s anniversary tour 20 Years of Bedlam and a report on the trucking and freight forwarding industry. Elsewhere, the shrinking nature of tour routings is investigated and there is an in-depth report into the Italian live music industry.

For comments & columns, Ross Patel makes a case for everyone to battle the climate crisis while Jess Partridge argues against withholding tax rules.

A selection of magazine content will appear online in the next four weeks but to ensure your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

Survey to probe racial bias in licensing events

A first-of-its-kind survey has been launched to investigate reported race inequality, bias and over-policing of music events in London.

Artists, promoters and venue managers are invited to come forward and share any experiences they may have had of unfair cancellations, discriminatory licensing practices and other incidents when dealing with local authorities and the police.

Led by Black Lives in Music (BLiM), with research carried out by the Runnymede Trust, the REMEL (Race Equality In Music Events Licensing) survey is being launched with the Musicians’ Union, UK Music, LIVE and Mayor of London.

“This survey is a crucial step in driving real change in live music licensing,” says BLiM CEO Charisse Beaumont. “Through Project REMEL, we are uncovering the systemic barriers in licensing that Black and Asian artists, promoters, and venue owners have faced for too long. Barriers that have stifled artistic expression and economic growth.

“Last minute event cancellations by the police, license extensions denied, covert phone calls pressuring venue owners to cancel events and outright refusals to grant licenses based on music genres including Jazz, Bhangra, and Gospel are just some of the obstacles. It’s not just Drill music.

“These challenges don’t just impact individuals, they hold back the entire music industry. By gathering real data, we can expose these challenges, highlight best practices and push for an industry that is not just fair, but stronger, more creative and more profitable for everyone.”

Beaumont previously gave evidence to the London Assembly’s economy, culture and skills committee last September as part of an investigation into the strengths and weaknesses of the capital’s night-time leisure sector.

“We need venues, artists, promoters and decision-makers to take part and share their experiences”

BLiM has previously stated its belief that event licensing in London is still affected by racial prejudice despite the abolition of Form 696 – the controversial risk-assessment document that critics claimed discriminated against grime and other predominantly Black music, in November 2017. It alleges that Form 696’s legacy still affects the business, with events often either cancelled or subjected to onerous conditions due to racial bias.

BLiM’s new survey, which was announced today (6 February) at the Night Time Economy Summit in Birmingham, is especially keen to hear the perspective of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse participants in the sector. It is seeking to investigate the discriminatory practices in live music events licensing, particularly focusing on the lack of transparency in event cancellations, the role of police resource allocation, venue decision-making biases, and the overall impact of these factors on Black and Asian music communities.

“We need venues, artists, promoters and decision-makers to take part and share their experiences,” adds Beaumont. “Together, we can transform the live music industry into a sector where talent is nurtured, opportunities are equal, and success is accessible to all.”

The research will be used by REMEL to develop recommendations and work with all partners as part of their London Race Action Plan, councils, and the music industry to identify best practice, share learning and take action.

“As part of Project REMEL, LIVE held a roundtable that highlighted how Black, Asian and ethnically diverse artists, promoters, venues and events are consistently faced with bigger barriers than their white counterparts,” adds LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “There are clear steps that need to be taken to address this imbalance and a solid research foundation will ensure those steps are supported.

“This survey and the work of Project REMEL are of vital importance as we seek to address long term institutional discrimination and, as a result, facilitate a range of gigs, festivals and club nights that will bring economic, cultural and societal benefits.”

 


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FAC establishes UK Artist Touring Fund

The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) has established a UK Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund to distribute artist-allocated revenues collected by the recently-launched LIVE Trust.

Developed in partnership with the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Musicians’ Union (MU), the UKAT Fund will allow acts to apply for financial support for grassroots shows, helping to reconcile and bridge short-falls in touring budgets.

Additionally, it will be open to receive one-off donations and commercial support for those who wish to invest directly in UK talent.

“The FAC has established the UKAT Fund in preparation for when the LIVE Trust becomes operational and starts to distribute revenue from the incoming ticket contributions,” says FAC CEO David Martin. “It will ensure that any funding allocated for grassroots artists can be distributed in the most effective, transparent and efficient way possible. By helping keep shows on the road, our three fundamental aims are to support artist development, boost audience engagement and help sustain the wider live music supply chain.”

Launched earlier this month, the LIVE Trust charity is designed to channel funds raised via arena and stadium tours to support the grassroots ecosystem. It will initially receive its funding from a voluntary contribution of £1 per ticket from arena and stadium shows with a capacity of over 5,000.

“The FAC’s new UKAT Fund will act as an essential part of the LIVE Trust distribution process”

The UKAT Fund will connect directly to the LIVE Trust, and act as a vehicle to receive and distribute donations to artists, amid a recent survey of 1,500 independent artists by Ditto Music where 84% of UK-based respondents said they could not currently afford to tour.

“The MMF is very excited to be backing the FAC’s fund to directly support grassroots artist touring,” says MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick. “So many artists and their managers work unpaid on loss-making tours for many years in the hope of growing a fanbase, developing their live performance and creating long term careers. They are having to make tough financial decisions to make ends meet, and in many cases artists play many fewer dates than they would like around the UK due to the upfront costs of touring.

“The FAC’s new UKAT Fund will act as an essential part of the LIVE Trust distribution process so that managers have an open and transparent mechanism in which to apply for touring support on behalf of their artists and ensure everyone is fairly paid for their work on these tours. We look forward to the fund being operational in the coming weeks and months as it is so urgently needed.”

MU general secretary Naomi Pohl adds: “We are delighted to partner with the FAC to ensure that touring artists, and the backing musicians who perform with them, are funded to do what they do best. The past five years have been extremely difficult for musicians due to Covid and the rising cost of touring, both within the UK and overseas.

“We want to make sure there is clear and transparent access to support, not only for those who book and platform artists, but for artists themselves and the huge teams they employ.”

“Momentum is building behind the LIVE Trust, and we would encourage all who are involved in arena and stadia shows to offer their support”

Jon Collins, CEO of trade body LIVE, has also given his reaction to the plans.

“Addressing the crisis in grassroots music requires all parts of the UK live music industry to play their part in generating funds, identifying solutions, and driving support to those who need it most,” he says. “As LIVE board members, we already work closely with FAC, MMF and the MU and we look forward to learning more about the UKAT Fund as plans are put in place.

“Momentum is building behind the LIVE Trust, and we would encourage all who are involved in arena and stadia shows to offer their support. Funds generated will be passed through to expert programmes such as this to maximise impact and accelerate their excellent work.”

IQ reported last month that the UK live music industry was edging towards a deal which would see more stadium and arena tours agree to include a contribution towards grassroots support after a ministerial roundtable meeting with culture minister Chris Bryant.

The government previously implored the live industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy to support the grassroots music sector in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee’s report.

 


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UK industry nears deal on grassroots contribution

Following a meeting with the government, IQ understands the UK live music industry is edging towards a deal which would see more stadium and arena tours agree to include a contribution towards grassroots support.

Yesterday’s ministerial roundtable meeting with culture minister Chris Bryant MP followed the government’s plea to the live industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy to support the grassroots music sector in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee’s report.

As well as key industry representative bodies, senior figures from some of the UK’s leading promoters were in attendance, including Live Nation, AEG, SJM and Kilimanjaro Live.

“The first roundtable with the minister was the culmination of a lot of hard work by the live music sector,” said LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “Our focus now is to continue to work together to put in place a robust plan for the newly launched LIVE trust and to accelerate the process of directing much needed funding to the grassroots music sector. It was heartening to hear the minister once again endorse the government’s desire to support grassroots venues, festivals, artists and promoters.”

Music Venue Trust (MVT) founder and CEO Mark Davyd also struck an upbeat tone in the wake of yesterday’s discussion.

“We want to thank the LIVE team for all the hard work to reach a consensus on pushing ahead with the much discussed grassroots contribution from every arena and stadium ticket sold,” he said. “The meeting with minister for culture Chris Bryant was a great example of the whole ecosystem pulling together to create an outcome that, ultimately, benefits all of us working in the live industry and everyone who loves live music.”

The current direction of travel stops short of the ‘levy’ called for in various industry campaigns and focuses instead on close collaboration ahead of tours, aimed at significantly increasing the number of projects that include grassroots support.

A grassroots music fund cannot be dependent on voluntary artist donations

However, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) is maintaining its call for a blanket ticket levy, having previously set out its stance in its joint open letter with the Musicians’ Union in October.

“I’d like to thank minister for culture, Chris Bryant, for engaging with the sector on the grassroots music levy,” FAC CEO David Martin tells IQ. “Whilst it’s clear that there are different perspectives within the industry on how to tackle the crisis, the minister has tasked industry representatives with demonstrating they can collectively introduce a £1 levy from large arena and stadium shows, to support grassroots artists, promoters and venues, with the objective that this approach will become blanket across all shows.

“The critical word here is levy. A grassroots music fund cannot be dependent on voluntary artist donations.  Such an opt-in ad hoc system would create uncertainty and the potential for an uneven playing field for UK artists on British soil. Furthermore, it places the burden of decision-making on individual artists rather than sharing it across the industry.

“However, we welcome the attempts to try to progress the situation. We are also pleased that the whole sector has agreed that funds distributed to artists should be equivalent to those distributed to venues, in order to stimulate vital performances and industry growth.”

Bryant said earlier this month that the government wants to see ‘tangible progress’ by the first quarter of next year to meet the timeline of increased grassroots support coming in as soon as possible for concerts in 2025. While IQ understands that the minster expressed his understanding that with many 2025 tours now announced it may take some time for new schemes to come onstream, he reiterated the threat of potential statutory action if insufficient progress is made.

MVT announced in November that it is teaming with live music advocate Save Our Scene to launch the Liveline Fund to handle donations to the grassroots ecosystem from companies, organisations and artists.

Frank Turner recently became the latest artist to donate £1 from every ticket sold for his upcoming UK tour to support local independent music venues, following similar pledges from acts such as Sam Fender, Katy Perry and Coldplay, who will donate 10% of proceeds from their 2025 stadium concerts in England to the MVT.

 


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LIVE Trust update as Katy Perry makes MVT donation

Katy Perry has become the latest artist to pledge £1 from every ticket sold for her newly announced UK tour leg to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), as the business awaits the green light for the LIVE Trust.

The American pop star, who played her first UK shows at London’s 200-cap Water Rats and 1,145-cap Scala in 2008, becomes the first international act to follow the likes of Coldplay, Sam Fender and Enter Shikari by donating a percentage of tour proceeds to the organisation.

“I’m proud to donate £1 from every ticket on the UK leg of The Lifetimes Tour to Music Venue Trust so that venues like Water Rats and Scala, where I played my first UK shows, can continue to usher in the next generation of music talent” says CAA-represented Perry, who will play arenas across the UK in October 2025, promoted by AEG.

“We want to say a huge thank you to Katy and her team for stepping up to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters,” adds MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “The contribution from these shows will keep venues open, get new and emerging artists out on tour, and enable promoters to bring the best in new music to our communities.”

Davyd tells IQ the charity’s mission extends to supporting the whole ecosystem at grassroots level.

“Whether it’s artists being able to tour or promoters being able to take risks or venues being able to be open, it all helps each other,” he says. “We have our own internal distribution of funding through which we have successfully distributed over £4 million in the last three years to artists, so we will continue to do that, but we imagine that as the financial support expands organisations like FAC, MMP, AIP, MU, etc will identify funding partners to distribute money for them or build mechanisms themselves.”

“A strategy that keeps venues afloat but bypasses the artists who perform on those stages will simply repeat the mistakes of the pandemic”

Last week, the UK government urged the live industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy to support the grassroots music sector in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee’s report.

However, prior to that, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Musicians’ Union (MU) penned a joint open letter calling for a blanket ticket levy to share the cost of investing in the future of the UK live scene, insisting that “just supporting venues in itself will not save grassroots music”.

Speaking to IQ, FAC CEO David Martin stresses that the group was established to represent the UK’s artist community.

“We make no apology in campaigning for their interests, especially when artists are facing such massive shortfalls from the increased costs of touring,” he says. “Alleviating those pressures and encouraging more live activity is the only effective solution to the grassroots music crisis.

“A strategy that keeps venues afloat but bypasses the artists who perform on those stages will simply repeat the mistakes of the pandemic, with disastrous consequences for the wider live music business. While the generosity of individual artists in donating to MVT is commendable, it does not equate to a sustainable, transparent and long-term strategy to safeguard the sector’s future.”

The LIVE Trust, an industry-created charitable body which would collect and distribute funds, is currently in the process of being set up with the UK charity regulator. Martin says the FAC endorses the body as “a vehicle for collecting and distributing a blanket levy”.

“It is now imperative for the sector to unite in agreeing on a clear pathway to achieve this goal, fostering economic activity, live touring, and audience growth,” he adds.

“LIVE’s members are working to increase the profile of the Trust ahead of launch and include discussion as to its aims and objectives”

On that subject, LIVE CEO Jon Collins offers an update on the timeframe involved in setting up the trust.

“We have covered a lot of ground in the six months since the CMS Committee recommended an industry solution to the grassroots crisis, avoiding a much more intrusive statutory intervention,” he tells IQ. “Even with a packed industry summer and an election, we have been able to agree the aims, objectives, structure, funding approach, initial trustees and mid-term strategy for the trust.

“A lot of this work goes under the radar as we work on our formal submission to the Charity Commission. We feel we have now answered all the Commission’s questions and await the green light.”

Collins continues: “It is brilliant news that Katy Perry has opted to support grassroots music, and we hope she is the first of many international artists to do so alongside their UK counterparts. With the LIVE Trust in place, there will be another option for those wishing to support artists, venues, festivals, promoters and the other actors that contribute to our grassroots sector.

“LIVE’s members are working to increase the profile of the trust ahead of launch and include discussion as to its aims and objectives in relevant tour planning.”

 


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Autumn Budget delivers blow for grassroots venues

Measures announced as part of the first Budget under the UK’s new Labour government have put more than 350 grassroots venues (GMVs) at risk of immediate closure, according to the Music Venue Trust (MVT).

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Autumn Budget in the House of Commons today (30 October) – almost four months on from Labour’s landslide general election victory.

Reeves announced £40 billion (€48bn) of tax rises, with business rates relief set to be cut from 75% to 40% from 1 April next year ahead of a planned overhaul of the system in 2026.

MVT CEO Mark Davyd has shared his disappointment the move, which he says was made in spite of extensive briefings about the negative knock-on effects on the scene, pointing out that 43% of GMVs in the UK made a loss last year.

“The immediate impact is to create a demand for £7 million in additional premises taxes from a sector that, in 2023, returned an entire gross profit across all 830 such venues in the UK of just £2.9 million,” says Davyd. “Over 350 grassroots music venues are now placed at immediate risk of closure, representing the potential loss of more than 12,000 jobs, over £250 million in economic activity and the loss of over 75,000 live music events.”

“Changes in April 2026… will be of no use for the hundreds of music venues that are now likely to be lost before this challenge is finally met”

He continues: “Simultaneously with announcing this new tax demand, the government acknowledged the faults and inequities inherent in the business rate system, promising to deliver a new lower rate of taxes on physical, hospitality and leisure premises in April 2026.

“The challenges around business rates and grassroots music venues have been known and accepted for over a decade. Changes in April 2026 are to be welcomed, but will be of no use for the hundreds of music venues that are now likely to be lost before this challenge is finally met with a full, long overdue reform.”

Davyd puts forward three possible solutions, starting off by urging the government to have a rethink and restore the 75% rate relief for GMVs. Alternatively, he argues it could create an emergency fund of up to £7m (€8.4m) that the most under-threat venues could access to meet the new tax demand.

Lastly, his third suggestion is that every GMV in the country install a temporary business rate levy of 50p (€0.60) applied to every ticket sold and used directly to meet the £7m demand until the new business rate system is installed.

“Unless the government is willing to think again, it unfortunately may be the only possible option to stop a complete collapse of live music in our communities,” he adds.

“The decision to reduce this relief will increase costs on grassroots music venues already struggling to keep their doors open”

LIVE CEO Jon Collins was less critical of Reeves’ announcement, saying the trade body recognised the chancellor had “tough choices” to make.

“We welcome the retention of business rates relief but the decision to reduce this relief will increase costs on grassroots music venues already struggling to keep their doors open,” he adds. “The live music sector is a key contributor to economic growth, generating over £6 billion in 2023, and creating positive social, cultural, and economic impact across every city, town and village in the UK. It is critical that the next Budget focuses on growth and enables sectors like live music to achieve their full potential.”

While the chancellor extended business rates relief for night-time economy businesses by an additional two years at a reduced 40%, halving the relief, the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) says the benefit is negated by a series of tax hikes that threaten the sector’s financial stability.

“We are in one of the toughest trading environments the UK has seen in decades for our sector, fraught with a legacy of challenges from previous crises,” says NTIA CEO Michael Kill. “While the chancellor has listened to our plight, the extended business rates relief is a minor concession amongst the array of tax increases and fiscal shifts, which will take some time to evaluate and consider regarding sector impacts. However, in simple terms, it is still double the contribution of the current business rates.

“This relief will be immediately undercut by increased NIC Employer contributions and thresholds with increased individual employer contributions to businesses, net increase in alcohol duty and overarching workforce increases, although rightly intended to support the workforce, will have severe repercussions for already struggling businesses across the sector. This shows an acknowledgement of core businesses within nightlife but lacks consideration for the broader industry outside of bricks and mortar businesses and the vital and diverse role our night-time economy plays within our communities and the UK’s culture and economy.”

 


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Live groups respond to Martyn’s Law debate

Live organisations in the UK have responded to a parliamentary debate on proposed new anti-terror measures for venues.

Dubbed ‘Martyn’s Law’ in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the 2017 Manchester bombing, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday (14 October).

Also known as Protect Duty, it calls for mandatory anti-terror training for staff and tighter event security at venues, with the intention of helping protect the public from potential attacks.

However, trade body LIVE has previously called for the legislation to be revised, claiming it had been “rushed through the pre-legislative scrutiny stage and lacks any thorough impact assessment”, while the Home Affairs Committee raised concerns it would “place a significant and disproportionate burden on smaller venues” in its current form.

Introducing Martyn’s Law in parliament, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said there had been 15 domestic terror attacks since March 2017, while MI5 and the police had disrupted 43 late-stage terror plots in that period.

“The first responsibility of any government is to keep the public safe,” she said. “That is, and will always be, our No. 1 priority.”

“In recognition of the potentially greater impact of an attack on larger premises, those in the enhanced tier will be subject to additional requirements”

Under the Bill, which Cooper said had the “wholehearted support” of both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and leader of the opposition Rishi Sunak, venues would be placed into two categories depending on size: those of between 200 and 800 capacity would fall into a standard tier, while those of 800-capacity and over would be placed into an enhanced tier.

“Those responsible for premises in the standard tier will be required to notify the regulator and have in place public protection procedures to reduce the risk of harm to individuals in the event of an act of terrorism,” she said. “It is important that those procedures are designed to be very simple and low cost. There will be no requirement to put in place physical measures in the standard tier.

“In recognition of the potentially greater impact of an attack on larger premises, those in the enhanced tier will be subject to additional requirements or public protection measures: monitoring for risks and indicators; security measures for individuals, which might mean search and screening processes; physical safety measures, where relevant, such as safety glass; and securing information to make it harder for people to plan, prepare or execute acts of terrorism.”

She cautioned: “We are being clear that it is not for the government to specify precise arrangements for every venue. I do not think it would be appropriate to do so. Arrangements will vary according to the event. We know that many large venues already have procedures to search bags or conduct those sorts of checks. We are clear that this needs to be done proportionately, and according to the size of the venue and the arrangements in place.”

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly warned against imposing “a cost so high that venues are unable to comply and therefore fail to reduce the risk”.

“It is appropriate that we look at the impact assessment produced by the government, and recognise that the new regulations will affect an estimated 155,000 small businesses with a venue capacity of between 200 and 799 people,” he said. “That will impose an average cost on them of around £330 a year. The regulations will also impact around 24,000 larger venues with a capacity of 800 and above, imposing an average cost of around £5,000 each year.

“When I was the Home Secretary, I looked at ways of reducing the burden on the industry as much as possible, while ensuring that those with the broadest shoulders, as it were, could bear the largest load, protecting smaller venues. I therefore welcome the lighter-touch approach that has been put forward, particularly in the standard tier.”

He added: “Including the standard tier, we are looking at nearly 200,000 venues. We want to ensure that the legislation is effective, and not just on the statute book gathering dust.”

“We will be working with MPs on the Bill committee and the Home Office team to try and strengthen this legislation wherever possible”

LIVE CEO Jon Collins welcomed the direction of the debate but pointed out the impact of the proposals was not limited to venues.

“LIVE is pleased to see recognition of the impact this legislation could have on venues though we would note that those concerns should extend across to independent festivals,” says Collins in a statement to IQ. “The minister made clear that we have time to ensure the provisions in this Bill land properly. We will be working with MPs on the Bill committee and the Home Office team to try and strengthen this legislation wherever possible.”

Elsewhere, Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, hailed the second reading as a “significant milestone”.

“This bill is not only pivotal for enhancing public safety but also represents a collective commitment from the night-time economy to ensure that our venues and public spaces are as secure as possible,” he says. “We commend the government for its willingness to listen and adapt the bill’s approach to ensure proportionality and flexibility, especially concerning training requirements. This balanced perspective acknowledges the diverse landscape of our industry, accommodating both lower and higher-tier businesses while providing structured support to those at the upper end.”

It is understood the Bill now faces six to nine months more scrutiny to come, with around two years of work to get ready for the implementation of the new legislation, meaning it would not come into force until mid to late 2027 at the earliest.

The Manchester Arena Inquiry, led by chairman Sir John Saunders, published the final of three reports about the bombing last year, concluding that security services missed a “significant” opportunity to take action that could have prevented the attack.

The second inquiry into the attack, published in November 2022, made a series of recommendations for events after identifying numerous failings by the emergency services, while the first report, published in June 2021, which found there were multiple “missed opportunities” to prevent or minimise the impact of the bombing.

 


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Post-Brexit touring deal blow? The industry reacts

Live music industry leaders in the UK have played down a report that the European Union (EU) has ruled out easing post-Brexit restrictions on British touring acts.

Labour pledged to improve EU touring for UK artists by “tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade” as part of its manifesto prior to its landslide general election victory in July.

But according to internal documents seen by the Financial Times, Brussels says a deal to cut post-Brexit red tape compelling touring musicians to obtain cultural performance visas and transport permits is not possible, as it would require rewriting the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Moreover, the European Commission – the executive arm of the EU – was “not prepared to consider” the necessary amendments to regulations on customs, road haulage and services.

“The briefings repeatedly warn of the need to ‘manage expectations’ in London, given [Prime Minister Keir] Starmer’s refusal to rejoin the EU single market, accept freedom of movement, or form a customs union with the bloc,” adds the report.

Insiders suggest the documents are a sign of pre-positioning from both sides as they prepare for negotiations, which cannot begin until a new commission is formed later this year. A senior EU official tells the FT it is open to compromise, adding: “We have a track record of finding solutions.”

“We welcome the renewed impetus from both sides to solve this issue, and recognise negotiations are needed to find a solution”

Jon Collins, CEO of UK trade body LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment), remains hopeful an agreement can be reached.

“Venues, festivals, and artists across both the UK and EU are suffering under the current touring arrangements,” he says. “It is widely recognised that improvements to these touring rules are needed to bring major economic and cultural benefits to both European member states and the UK.

“We welcome the renewed impetus from both sides to solve this issue, and recognise negotiations are needed to find a solution. We agree with the EU Domestic Advisory Group’s view that the solution to touring problems could be delivered without the need to revise the Trade and Co-operation Agreement.”

The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) established the #LetTheMusicMove umbrella campaign in June 2021 to galvanise the music industry’s work on the topic, calling for reductions in post-Brexit costs and red tape for UK artists and musicians when touring in Europe.

In a joint statement to IQ, MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick and FAC chief David Martin say the issue is of fundamental importance to their members.

“While this FT report raises concerns, I don’t think anyone was under any illusions that these challenges would be alleviated in the short term”

“Outside the UK, Europe has typically provided the next step up for artists and musicians looking to build a live touring career,” they said. “In 2019, it represented the largest overseas market for UK artists, four times bigger than the US. But given the increased costs they’re already shouldering to get live shows on the road, the additional burden of red tape and bureaucracy is potentially crippling for the next generation of British talent. It is vital we find a solution that allows cultural movement to flow more freely.

“While this FT report raises concerns, I don’t think anyone was under any illusions that these challenges would be alleviated in the short term. They are part of wider discussions around freedom of movement and other trading negotiations.

“Obviously, we need the UK government to be committed to finding solutions. They made a manifesto commitment to do this. With MPs returning to parliament this week, we are already in the process of reestablishing contact and pushing for urgent progress.”

 


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Live music contributed £6bn to UK economy in 2023

The UK live music sector contributed a record £6.1 billion (€7.2bn) to the economy for the first time last year, according to freshly published data from trade body LIVE.

LIVE’s annual UK Live Music report shows live music achieved a year-on-year uptick of 17% since 2022 and an increase of 35% on the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. Live music also supported jobs for nearly 230,000 people last year – an increase of 9.4% since 2019.

The data analysis from research agency CGA by NIQ covers more than 55,000 gigs, concerts, festivals and events. It reveals the growth in the sector last year was driven largely by concert revenues, which jumped by 19% year-on-year and accounted for nearly three quarters (73.5%) of the total, boosted by major tours by acts such as Beyoncé and Coldplay.

Despite the positive headline figures however, LIVE warns that significant challenges remain for grassroots music venues, small festivals, and up-and-coming artists, with 36 festivals cancelled and 125 grassroots music venues closed permanently last year.

“2023 delivered significant growth for many sections of the live music ecosystem,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “We had some of the biggest names in music sell out tours and festivals across the UK, but we also saw pressure build up across our industry, leading to grassroots music venues and festivals left with no choice but to close down in the face of rising costs.”

“With a lower rate of VAT on tickets, we could see the sector grow further”

In response, LIVE is calling on the government to reduce the current rate of 20% VAT on tickets. It also supports the recommendation in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on Grassroots Music Venues that government should introduce a temporary cut to VAT to stimulate grassroots music activity, while undertaking a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of a cut to VAT on all concert tickets.

“We welcome the commitments made by the government to put the creative industries at the centre of the UK’s economic growth plan,” adds Collins. “Reintroducing a lower rate of VAT on tickets would bring the UK into line with international competitors and would be pivotal in unlocking the economic potential of our industry. With a lower rate of VAT on tickets, we could see the sector grow further, supporting more jobs, generating more investment, and putting on more gigs, festivals and tours for people to enjoy.”

On a regional basis, the data shows that London accounted for nearly a third (30.6%) of 2023’s total live music revenue, followed by Manchester at 7.4%. Glasgow took the lead in Scotland with 5.5% of the UK’s share, while other cities in the top 10 included Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Belfast.

“Our live music sector is world-class offering concerts, festivals, gigs and more to suit every music taste,” adds LIVE chair Steve Lamacq. “Last year, we saw much of the live music sector triumph over adversity; faced with a spike in costs as a result of inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and labour shortages, fans had more concerts and festivals than ever to enjoy.

“However, we cannot forget that urgent action is needed to support the many grassroots venues, artists, and festivals which continued to struggle last year.”

 


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UK live industry orgs react to King’s Speech

Live music business organisations in the UK have delivered their verdicts on the King’s Speech.

Addressing the Houses of Parliament, King Charles outlined the new Labour government’s legislative priorities in the wake of their landslide general election victory.

Perhaps most pertinent to the live industry is Sir Keir Starmer’s party’s commitment to anti-terror measures for venues, dubbed ‘Martyn’s Law‘ in tribute to Martyn Hett, who was killed alongside 21 others in the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill – also known as Protect Duty – will require venues to take steps to improve public safety, with measures dependent on the size of the venue and the activity taking place. Penalties for non-compliance would range from fines to permanent closure and criminal sanctions.

“Measures will be introduced to improve the safety and security of public venues and help keep the British public safe from terrorism,” said the King.

“The previous draft would have failed to deliver these objectives while placing disproportionate burdens on venues and festivals”

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) says the move “represents a major leap forward in public safety”.

“It is crucial that this law harmonises with existing legislation, supports and improves current operational practices, and remains cost-effective in today’s economic environment,” says CEO Michael Kill.

Elsewhere, Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE, says the trade body is looking forward “to working collaboratively with Labour in government to unleash the potential of our sector”, but reiterates its plea for the anti-terror measures to be revised.

“We recognise government endeavours to improve the safety and security of public venues and keep the British public safe through the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill,” says Collins. “We fully support the objectives of this Bill, but the previous draft would have failed to deliver these objectives while placing disproportionate burdens on venues and festivals, so an urgent review of the government’s approach is needed.”

Previously, the Home Affairs Committee warned the measures would “place a significant and disproportionate burden on smaller venues” in its current form, while “failing to ensure adequate safety measures at all public events at risk of terror attacks”.

“We remain committed to working with government to ensure any new requirements are workable and, crucially, build on existing steps taken by industry to deliver greater reassurance and safety for concertgoers,” continues Collins.

“The government’s plans to reset relations with the EU can enable UK artists to tour more easily, and we urge quick action on this”

Other pledges relevant to the live biz include an effort to “reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdom’s trade and investment relationship with the European Union”.

“The government’s plans to reset relations with the EU can enable UK artists to tour more easily, and we urge quick action on this,” says Collins, who also supports plans for the formation of a new body called Skills England, as well as legislation giving new powers to metro mayors and combined authorities.

“We welcome the creation of Skills England and plans to reform the apprenticeship levy which align with our Live Music Manifesto proposals,” adds Collins. “The English Devolution Bill will be a positive step in awarding metro mayors with greater powers to drive local economic growth.”

While no mention was made in the King’s Speech of Labour’s pledge to introduce new consumer protections on ticket resale, the NTIA has backed the announcement of the introduction of a specific crime for spiking.

“This legislative change, one of the key asks from the previous government by the NTIA at the House of Lords select committee, will significantly enhance the role of the police,” says Kill. “By providing a robust data source to address this issue and focusing on direct intelligence to capture perpetrators, we can better protect our patrons and ensure safer environments in our venues.”

 


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