Drum & bass heavyweight Sub Focus has announced that £1 from every ticket sold for his upcoming 2027 UK arena shows will be donated to support grassroots live music. The voluntary contribution will apply to his Circular Sound dates at London’s O2 on March 26 and Manchester’s Co-op Live on March 27.
The money raised will go to the LIVE Trust, which uses contributions from major arena and stadium events to support artists, venues, promoters and other parts of the UK’s grassroots music ecosystem. The trust was established following industry calls for a voluntary £1 contribution on tickets for large-scale shows.
“Grassroots venues and promoters are where I learned my craft [and] built the foundations of my career,” Sub Focus said in a statement. LIVE Trust CEO Jon Collins welcomed the announcement, describing the producer’s involvement as an important show of support for electronic music’s grassroots infrastructure.
The announcement comes as pressure continues to grow on the UK’s live music industry to increase adoption of the voluntary levy. The UK government has backed wider uptake and said it may consider legislative options if the industry does not make sufficient progress, while funding generated through the scheme is already being directed towards initiatives supporting grassroots venues and infrastructure.
