Photo by Victor Freitas
Manchester City Council has announced a £245,000 Grassroots Music Venue Fund, marking a lifeline for the city’s independent and DIY live spaces. The fund, now open for applications, will distribute up to £20,000 per venue, with grants expected before February 2026.
The initiative draws its power from a £1 levy placed on tickets for concerts with capacities of 5,000 or more – a national scheme led by the Music Venue Trust to ensure that major events directly support the foundations of the UK’s live music culture.
The move arrives as smaller venues face mounting strain. The government’s decision to slash the business rates discount from 75% to 40%, combined with post-lockdown unpredictability and rising costs, has hit operators hard.
“This local fund directly addresses one of the sector’s most pressing concerns,” said Kate Lowes of the Manchester Music City network to BBC. Council leader Bev Craig praised the rapid rollout, calling the turnaround time for grant access “virtually unheard of” in the industry.
Revenue streams feeding the fund include a string of sold-out Oasis concerts at Heaton Park and shows at the new Co-Op Live, the UK’s largest indoor music venue. Recent performances by Charli XCX, Elbow, Fontaines D.C., and Olivia Rodrigo have all contributed to the scheme.
Official figures show that more than 1.3 million music tourists visited Manchester during the period, a figure equivalent to nearly half the region’s permanent population, making Greater Manchester the UK’s most music-tourism-saturated city per capita. “It’s inspiring to see Manchester recognise its place as one of the world’s leading music cities,” said Jay Taylor, National Co-ordinator of the Music Venue Trust, “and acknowledge that the grassroots network is the cornerstone of the incredible music being made here.”
Grant allocations will depend on business rate liabilities, with a cap of 35% off the total bill for 2025/26 (up to £20,000). A parallel fund from the same levy will support parks and green spaces that have hosted large-scale music events.
With new spaces like Amber’s joining the nightlife map and warnings from the Night Time Industries Association that UK club culture could be “extinct by 2030” if closures continue, Manchester’s move may prove pivotal in preserving the pulse of live music for the next generation.
