MPs to scrutinise grassroots music venues ‘crisis’

A cross-party group of MPs is set to begin an investigation into the current crisis facing the UK’s grassroots music venues.

The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee will conduct a review into the matter next year, before publishing a full report of its findings, which will feature recommendations for government, local authorities and the music industry as to how venues should be supported, by the end of 2024.

The committee’s Chair, Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, announced the work while speaking at Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) annual Venues Day conference last week.

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“One of the pillars during my campaign to become the Chair of the DCMS Select Committee was to say that we need to do a full review of grassroots music venues in the UK, the challenges that they are facing, but also what the opportunities are and what more we can do to support them,” Dinenage said.

“We will be announcing a call for evidence quite soon, and then probably just after Christmas, we'll start taking live evidence from people as well.”

The committee currently has seven ongoing inquiries across DCMS’ remit, covering British film and high-end television, minority languages, gambling, women’s sport, safety at sporting events, connected tech and non-fungible tokens and the blockchain.

CMS Committee member and former chair, Labour MP Kevin Brennan, said: “The select committee is all about accountability and getting out there into the open what the real issues are and what's really going on. 

“And we know from the information we've had from the grassroots music sector already that they are facing real challenges at the moment.”

Earlier this year, research conducted by MVT revealed 125 grassroots music venues had closed in the eight months between February and September.

The music charity recently launched a community ownership scheme to purchase the freehold of grassroots music venues. Research has found 93% of grassroots music venues in the UK are tenants, with the majority having less than 18 months on their current tenancies.

MVT CEO, Mark Davyd, said he is really grateful the committee will be focusing its efforts on the “myriad of challenges facing grassroots music venues”.

“The threat to this vital sector of our cultural life has never been more acute and we look forward to assisting the process and to seeing the recommendations they put forward,” he said.