The Royal Albert Hall has become the first arena to commit to the £1 LIVE ticket levy to help support grassroots venues and the UK grassroots music scene. This means that for each ticket sold for the venue, £1 will be invested back into helping smaller venues keep their doors open. The plan, which is set to come into effect on October 1 2025 – will raise an estimated £300,000 per year for LIVE trust.
James Ainscough OBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall and founding trustee of the LIVE Trust spoke about the decision a press release. He said that “By embracing the £1 contribution and becoming the first arena where it is ‘always on’, we are adding this charity’s name to the growing momentum around the £1 grassroots contribution.
He added “[I] look forward to playing my part in ensuring that every pound raised has the maximum impact, securing a thriving grassroots music sector for generations to come.”
Jon Collins, Chief Executive of LIVE, continued: “For such an important and iconic venue as the Royal Albert Hall to make this commitment is a huge indicator of the growing levels of confidence in the LIVE Trust. With an ever-increasing schedule of major tours announcing their support alongside numerous individual company initiatives, which are creating new revenue opportunities, the LIVE Trust is well placed to begin its mission to support grassroots music across the UK, he added. “We thank the team at the Royal Albert Hall for this forward-thinking and innovative announcement and hope that others will be inspired to follow suit.”
LIVE trust offers vital financial support to those working across live music in the UK delivering funding within the sector where it is needed most. The initial focus of the charity is on the UK grassroots music sector where LIVE trust is working to support venues, artists, festivals, and promoters. The recent £1 ticket levy has been supported publicly by huge names such as Sam Fender, Katy Perry and Coldplay – all of whom are donating portions of their tour revenue to the grassroots sector. To read more about the trust and their £1 ticket levy visit the website here.
This comes in light of nationwide strategies to boost the music sector. The UK government also recently announced a significant boost to the sector through the unveiling of a Music Growth Package which will deliver £30 million in public funding to help support breakthrough artists and grassroots venues. In case you missed it, MXDWN’s recent coverage of the UK government’s Music Growth plan can be read here.
