Manchester City Council is set to earmark almost £250,000 to support grassroots music venues in the city and help them share the success of the city’s summer of music.
This summer has seen the council benefit from the many music events and it has bbeen estimated that Manchester will have attracted 1.3 million music tourists – a tremendous boost for the city’s economy as a whole, especially the hospitality industry.
These huge events are also generating income for the Council, either by being hosted in the city’s largest parks – with commercial arrangements for their use – or through the business rates paid by major venues.
While exact details are being finalised, the intention is that the scheme will be administered by Music Venue Trust to ensure that the money gets to where it is needed as quickly and effectively as possible.
It comes as small venues across the country face a difficult economic climate, with a combination of increasing costs and reducing incomes leaving some in a precarious position.
One particular challenge is an increase in nationally-set business rates. These had been significantly reduced for the sector in response to the impacts of the pandemic, but this financial year – while still being lower than pre-pandemic levels – they have gone back up significantly.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is a big noise in the music world. This summer all eyes have been on the city as we’ve hosted some huge concerts and seen unprecedented success in our large venues as the EMA MTV Music Awards showed.
“But while the biggest gigs – in the city’s arenas and parks – might dominate the headlines, we know they are only possible because they are part of a wider ecosystem with smaller, grassroots venues providing the launchpads for acts to develop and grow.
“We know that across the country grassroots venues are struggling. That’s why we want to ensure that our grassroots venues can share some of the benefit from the success of those big events.
“We’re blessed in Manchester with an array of great smaller venues. They are there to be enjoyed and I’d encouraged anyone who values them to get out and support them.”
