Live Music

Lord Watson of Invergowrie Excerpts

Thursday 2nd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Lab)]

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Brennan on securing this debate and on his powerful introductory speech—at a time when live music is at the crossroads, to reference an iconic song by one of my heroes, the Delta blues singer Robert Johnson.

I want to focus on the crisis facing grass-roots music venues, on whose behalf the Music Venue Trust campaigns vigorously. I regularly enjoy music at such venues as Mercato Metropolitano, at Elephant and Castle, and the Ain’t Nothin’ But blues bar, in Soho. Sadly, two live music venues close every week across the UK. That is not because people are losing interest in music: there were more than 100 million audience visits to a gig in the UK in 2024, but 75% of those were accounted for by concerts.

Over 30,000 people work in grass-roots music venues, which are the R&D of the UK music industry and generated £8 billion in gross value added to the economy in 2024. Various new arenas are proposed to open in the UK over the next few years, but there is no record of such venues making a financial investment in the pipeline, and I think we are entitled to ask why that is.

My noble friend Lord Brennan mentioned football fans, in comparing them with music fan. That sport demonstrates what can be done to help develop the next generation. The Premier League shares 16% of its central revenues with the wider game. I see no reason why the top end of the live music industry cannot do the same, and reinvest in the talent and venues that are supporting it and supplying the next generation of performers.

Venues are suffering extreme hardship from unaffordable energy bills and other costs, as well as a cost of touring crisis. Live music generates huge returns for the Treasury, yet currently 20% of the value of every ticket sold at a grass-roots venue is lost to VAT, removing almost £5 million from the sector in potential investment in new and emerging talent. There is now no impediment to the Government zero-rating VAT on ticketing for grass-roots music venues. I urge my noble friend to consider that as a means of supporting this vital pipeline.