North West suffers most music venue closures

The North West of England saw the closure of more grassroots music venues during 2023 than anywhere else in the country, according to analysis from music tech company A2D2.

Using data from the Small Music Venues Index and Music Venue Trust (MVT), A2D2 found 19 grassroots venues closed in the North West last year, followed by 17 closures in London, 16 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 10 in the West Midlands.

Research published by MVT last September found 125 grassroots venues closed in the first eight months of last year across the country, representing the loss of 4,000 jobs, 14,250 events and 193,230 performance opportunities for musicians. 

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According to A2D2, almost half the venues (42%) were forced to close due to financial issues.

Impacted venues in the North West include Liverpool rock venue Jimmy’s and radio station and bar Melodic Distraction, which announced shutting down within a week of each other last September.

Source: A2D2

Application data from Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund, published in the funder’s evaluation report last year, shows more funding applications were received from the North of England than anywhere else.

The report added that the majority of areas – including the North of England – cited the cost of living causing a downturn in attendance and turnover as the biggest challenge facing the future of their music venues. 

The pressure on grassroots music venues has continued into this year, with the government’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee stating in March that grassroots music venues are now closing at a rate of more than two a week, with more than a third currently making a loss.

The committee has since backed the introduction of a ticket levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots venues. The initiative, championed by MVT, would create a support fund for venues, artists and promoters. The committee said the levy cost should not be passed onto fans and called on government to step in and introduce a statutory levy if no agreement is in place by September.

Meanwhile, MVT has made progress with its Own Our Venues scheme, set up to purchase the freehold of grassroots venues, with the acquisition of the first two venues in October last year and in May this year.

A2D2’s report adds that despite closures continuing, interest in grassroots music venue is increasing, with Google Trend searches for ‘grassroots music venues’ rising by 70% over the last year.

“Despite a bleak-looking future, the public, music enthusiasts and industry advocates across the UK are remaining steadfast in their bid to support and root for grassroots music venues,” A2D2’s analysis adds.