UK’s First Live Music Census Reveals Ongoing Threats to Small Venues

Small venues continue to face threats that could affect their long-term future, warns UK’s first Live Music Census.

• One third of small venues surveyed have been negatively affected by increases in business rates
• One in three small venues surveyed have experienced problems with nearby property development, which can cause noise complaints from people living nearby
• The total spend of people at live music events contributes significant sums to local economies – £78.8 million annually in Glasgow, £43.3m in Newcastle-Gateshead, and £10.5m in Oxford
• Nearly 50% of people surveyed spend more than £20 on tickets for concerts or festivals each month. Only 25% spend the same on recorded music
• Over 75% had visited small music venues – those with a capacity of up to 350 people – during the past 12 months
• Some 74% had visited pubs and bars for live music in the 12 months prior to the survey