Skiddle, one of the UK’s leading independent ticketing companies, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Music Venue Trust (MVT), aimed at protecting the future of grassroots music venues(GMVs) in the UK.

In the midst of an especially harsh economic period, which in the past year alone has seen more than a hundred grassroots music venues forced to close, operators have been left facing mounting financial costs.

The UK’s grassroots music scene provides a nurturing environment for new artists to flourish, helping influence and shape popular culture. Deprived of these venues, festivals, arenas and stadiums will face a long-term shortage of performers as emerging artists would lack a platform to develop their craft.

In response, Skiddle is leading a new initiative to champion the UK’s grassroots music venues by committing long-term support for the sector. The company plans to introduce a 50p ticket levy, with 100% of the proceeds channeled to the Music Venue Trust’s Pipeline Investment Fund, aiding music venues throughout the UK.

Skiddle has also pledged to match all funds raised through the ticket levy, effectively doubling the impact of each contribution made. Furthermore, Skiddle has set out plans to offer market-leading financial and support packages to UK grassroots venues. These packages include a share of booking fees, free localised marketing, and more.

Duncan King, Head of New Business at Skiddle said, “The situation for GMVs is critical. As an independent business within the music industry, we understand the pressures that our grassroots venues are under better than most. The MVT’s pipeline investment fund provides a much-needed lifeline to venues across the country, without which they would be unable to continue operations. Our partnership with the MVT will provide essential funds to keep culture thriving in the UK. This partnership serves as a call to action for the entire music industry. It’s time to stand up and act. We hope to be the catalyst for change across the whole industry.”

Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust said, “This is an incredibly important step from Skiddle which will be warmly welcomed by the whole grassroots music sector. It demonstrates that positive change is possible. As an industry, we can work together to ensure that success for any individual artist or single event can support everyone in the whole community. We hope many other companies will be inspired to follow this groundbreaking initiative.”