LIVE Trust raises over £500k to support UK Grassroots Music

LIVE, the organisation representing 15 UK live music industry organisations, has announced that the LIVE Trust — a new funding initiative aimed at supporting grassroots live music — has surpassed £500,000 in pledged ticket contributions. Contributions have come from UK tours by both domestic and international artists, including Pulp, Diana Ross, Mumford and Sons, and Hans Zimmer. The LIVE Trust is funded through a voluntary £1 contribution per ticket from arena and stadium shows with a capacity of over 5,000. A panel of industry experts oversees the Trust and sets funding strategies to support grassroots music experiences across the UK, including those delivered by artists, venues, festivals, and promoters. The milestone coincides with new research from the "Music Fans Voice" report, which surveyed over 8,000 live music concertgoers. The findings show strong support for the initiative, with 93% of respondents endorsing the idea that £1 from every arena or stadium live music ticket should go to a grassroots support fund. Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE said: "This is a welcome milestone for The LIVE Trust and marks a very significant contribution to the grassroots live music sector. What this demonstrates is that there is a real appetite from performers and their teams to support the wider live ecosystem and we applaud and thank those that have already taken this initiative. Whilst this is an excellent start there is still much work to do if we are to convince government that a voluntary rather than statutory levy is both workable and sustainable.”