Music Venue Trust (MVT), which represents hundreds of UK grassroots music venues (GMVs) has launched its 2024 Annual Report, which once again raises concerns about the ongoing challenges facing the sector. Despite highlighting positive activity such as MVT celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, the continued success of Music Venue Properties (MVP), which has now secured freehold ownership of five GMVs, and the publication of a Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) report that made strong recommendations to support grassroots music, it is clear that significant work is still needed to prevent a continued decline of the sector. A survey of…
Author: James Robertson
LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), which represents 15 live music industry organisations, has announced six key focus areas, designed to deliver economic and cultural growth across the UK. The renewed policy platform will sit at the centre of LIVE’s strategic vision for 2025 to empower the UK’s world-leading live music industry. LIVE’s ambitious 2025 vision outlines clear asks of Government to unleash the economic potential of the UK’s £6bn live music industry. Building on its achievements in 2024 and collaborative partnership established with the UK Government, LIVE is committed to further positioning the live music sector as a…
Found Festival, the UK’s newest boutique festival of music and cultural discovery, has revealed the full programme for its debut event at the scenic Claydon Estate in Buckingham from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 August. Its inspiring programme blends the raw beauty of Americana, Folk, Country, Roots, Blues and World music genres with an alluring mix of activities spanning dance, arts, crafts, comedy and more, altogether promising a unique space and time for cultural discovery. From the family behind Towersey, the UK’s oldest independent festival, Found Festival is setting itself apart from the many other festivals in the UK. Festival…
Victorious Festival 2024 marked a milestone year, earning national recognition, making significant charitable contributions, and driving economic prosperity in Portsmouth. 2024 was a fantastic year for Victorious enabling the festival to continue its Victorious in the Community work. The festival has announced it has donated over £135,000 to 20 different local and international charities and good causes across a range of sectors. Director James Ralls said: “Victorious is about more than just the weekend, our team is deeply connected to the city and works hard to create not only the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival but to make a difference all…
Tremor festival continues its journey of artistic innovation in 2025 with an enriched programme that introduces Arrepio, a groundbreaking initiative redefining the festival’s connection to site-specific and immersive experiences. Alongside Arrepio, an exceptional lineup of Artistic Residencies highlights Tremor’s enduring commitment to multidisciplinary creativity and community participation. Since its inception Tremor has been a platform for transformative artistic encounters, consistently integrating community voices and unconventional spaces. Past editions have featured the opera-journey by the Polish collective Instytut B61, Natalie Sharp’s boundary-pushing creations, Ana Borralho and João Galante’s community choir, and the immersive rituals of Vincent Moon and Priscila Tellmon. Each…
The award-winning Hebridean Celtic Festival has provided a vital £12 million economic lifeline to the Western Isles over the past three years since the COVID-19 pandemic while helping secure dozens of jobs, organisers have revealed. Analysis highlights a £4.1 million boost to the local community from the 2024 festival alone, marking an increase of £600,000 on the previous year, and safeguarding 76 tourism related jobs and providing work for artists, musicians and technical staff. Since its return to full-scale operations after lockdown which saw islanders go two years without a main event, the economic benefit achieved has more than doubled…
Field Day has announced its stage splits for the 2025 festival which will see Folamour, Bubble Love (Ross From Friends), Girls Don’t Sync, Jayda G, and Emerald joining headliner Peggy Gou on the South stage. The Bowl has Skream and Benga taking the helm, backed up with the likes of James Blake b2b Mala, Special Request b2b Yung Singh, Y U QT, 4AM Kruand Storm Mollison. Bugged Out recently celebrated their 30th year as one of the UK’s primo alternative club nights. With more eras than Taylor Swift. Bugged Out’s formative years in Manchester centred around Chicago house and Detroit…
Shrewsbury Folk Festival has released its second wave of artists for this August’s event including Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright and a special focus on Scottish music. Wainwright, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her eponymous first studio album in 2025, will make her Shrewsbury debut as will Cajun Roosters, Kezia Gill, Mad Dog Mcrea, Morganway, Naragonia Quartet (Belgium), Rainbow Girls (USA) and Tin Giants with The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican returning by popular demand. The festival has also joined forces with Showcase Scotland Expo to programme 15 established and developing musicians and bands across four stages across the…
Nick Morgan, CEO of We Group, has joined the board of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), a leading organisation representing and advocating for the entertainment, nightlife and hospitality sectors in the UK. The CEO, who is also Vice Chair of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), has been a driving force in campaigning for support across the independent sector, with a particular focus on festivals and events. A vast amount of this campaigning has been driven through independent festival production company The Fair, one of three divisions that sit under the We Group umbrella, alongside creative production agency, We…
Glastonbury has announced details of its 2025 EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION, which is once again supported by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation. The competition gives new UK and Ireland-based acts of any musical genre the chance to compete for a slot on one of the main stages at this year’s Festival. The winners of the free-to-enter competition will also be awarded a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation to help take their songwriting and performing to the next level. Two runners-up will also each be awarded a £2,500 PRS Foundation Talent Development prize. Acts from any musical genre can…