In a seemingly huge boost to the music and independent venue industry, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reiterated the need for investment into the creative industries, whilst also backing the proposed £1 ticket levy.
Small venues and industry leaders have been battling over the last few years to attempt to secure more funding and security for venues and upcoming artists.
The last 12 months have seen steps in the right direction, including a government committee hearing where politicians were warned that intervention was needed urgently. Now – in perhaps the biggest boost of optimism – the Prime Minister has declared that he shares the same viewpoint as those arguing for more support.
Speaking in Milton Keynes yesterday (August 6), Starmer announced “a major expansion in youth services funding” which will see £88 million being invested in youth clubs and schools – in an attempt to get young people involved with music, sports and the arts.
I know how difficult it is raising children in an online world.
Today we’ve announced a major expansion in youth services funding, to support youth clubs, after school activities and local organisations — connecting young people to their communities.
Our Plan for Change is…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 6, 2025
NME spoke to the Prime Minister at the event, where they asked him about the threat facing UK grassroots venues and upcoming musicians.
Perhaps the biggest proposal from industry leaders is the £1 ticket levy. This would see any arena level or above gig in the UK give £1 of every ticket sold to a grassroots fund. Although this has seen backing from MPs such as Sir Chris Bryant MP, the pace of the rollout of such a levy is causing concern.
When asked about the proposal, Starmer confirmed his support, saying: “I’m very supportive of this initiative, the £1 ticket levy going back into grassroots, because so much of our music is grassroots. It’s obviously where a lot of musicians start off, and therefore I’m hugely supportive of it. I’d like to see it expanded even more, but I want to support it in any way we can.”
Despite the promising movements towards the introduction of the ticket levy, it is clear that action and legislation is needed much more urgently. Speaking at the government committee back in May, Music Venue Trust (MVT) CEO Mark Davyd warned that it could be another decade until the levy is fully in place: “Of nearly 6 million tickets that have been released since the December 18 ministerial meeting when we all agreed that it was going to be on every ticket, 92 per cent of those tickets don’t have it.”
PM Keir Starmer shared the sentiment of Mark Davyd, saying more support is needed: “We need to support venues – large and small – across the country. I’ll be looking at what we can do in order to give them the chance not just to survive, but to thrive. There are so many different types of venues in different places where artists have performed for the first time, and go on to do amazing things.
“But also it’s where young people in particular access their first live gig. It’s likely to be the one nearest where they live – then that gives them an appetite to go to see more and more live music. We need more live music and we need to support it.”
Independent venues and upcoming artists all around the country will be hoping that these are not just hollow words. As the government committee heard in May, the creative industry is at real risk of dying. However, these words from the Prime Minister along with the recently announced fan-led review of live music, offer a glimmer of hope to those campaigning for urgent change.
