Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroots music venues in Greater Manchester.

The government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector. We welcome steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the ticket levy, and commitments made by artists to support grassroots music.

The government has announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF) for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40k to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.

Through the SGMF, ACE has provided funding to support various music venues in Manchester, such as Matt and Phreds, who have received funding to upgrade equipment and develop a new website for streaming. The Snug in Atherton received £40k to launch The Early Doors Club, bringing high-quality events to local audiences, and in Stockport, The Strines Nightingale secured £26k to expand live programming and enhance accessibility.