A brand new report has discovered that over 90 per cent of music followers are supportive of the £1 ticket levy to assist assist the survival of grassroots music venues.
The findings have been shared as a part of a fan-led overview by Music Followers’ Voice, and revealed the habits and beliefs of music followers throughout the nation. Within the survey, folks throughout the UK have been requested about how incessantly they attend reside music occasions, in addition to what they search for when shopping for tickets, what places them off from going to gigs, and the way they’ve seen the business change in recent times.
Over 8,000 folks took half, with 18-35-year-olds making up simply over 30 per cent, 25-54-year-olds making up over 40 per cent and over 55s making up over 26 per cent. Simply over half of the contributors have been male, with 44 per cent figuring out as girls and two per cent selecting to not say.
One of the crucial fascinating findings of the survey was that there was an amazing wave of assist for the proposed £1 ticket levy – the place arena-sized venues and above undertake a ‘Premier League mannequin’ by paying again into the ecosystem to assist hold the expertise pipeline flowing.
Within the report, 93 per cent of the 8,000 contributors shared that they “strongly agree” that £1 from each ticket offered for any enviornment or stadium reside occasion ought to “go to a fund that instantly helps the grassroots”. This ties in with one other discovering from the survey, which highlighted the pressures confronted by native venues in recent times. In keeping with the research, over half of all contributors (58 per cent) shared that they’ve skilled the closure of a regionally vital venue or nightclub near them since 2020.
Highlighting backing from the likes of Coldplay, Sam Fender, Enter Shikari, Katy Perry and extra, a brand new replace from MVT shared that the £1 ticket levy has meant that “over £580,000 has already been reinvested into the grassroots community by way of 147 grants”. “That is what artists and music followers need. We additionally proceed to combat for this throughout the business and on the authorities degree – till giving again to the grassroots is the norm, and never the exception,” it added.
Of these, 85 per cent agreed that we must always assist shield these grassroots areas by having legal guidelines launched in order that individuals who transfer into areas close to venues can’t make complaints about noise associated to a venue, and threaten its survival. Equally, 33 per cent mentioned that they’ve been making extra of an effort to go to grassroots areas extra typically over the previous yr – marking an even bigger rise in recognition than festivals, arenas, nightclubs and stadiums.
“In 2023, one in 5 of our emergency instances have been about noise,” shared MVT in a brand new replace. “Due to our work with venues and native authorities, that dropped to only six per cent final yr. Nevertheless we’re nonetheless combating for long-term protections via Agent of Change, so music isn’t the one which will get silenced.”
Whereas 99 per cent agreed that reside music occasions are an necessary a part of UK tradition and 95 per cent agreed that UK reside music occasions are necessary in relation to the UK’s worldwide fame, over 1 / 4 of these collaborating revealed that they’ve been attending reside music occasions much less typically than a yr in the past.
Lower than 10 per cent of contributors reported going to a nightclub even as soon as a month, whereas simply seven per cent and 15 per cent mentioned they’d go to occasions at stadiums and arenas respectively each six months.
This, the findings shared, was as a consequence of a mess of things, together with 58 per cent wanting extra native occasions, 53 per cent wanting higher transport choices (together with night time buses and later trains), and 60 per cent wanting higher worth for cash. Of the latter, 92 per cent mentioned that decrease ticket costs would encourage them to attend extra occasions.
A significant grievance from the contributors centred across the situation of dynamic/surge pricing – the place the price of tickets can inflate method above face worth relying on the demand. This was seen most noticeably in the course of the sale for Oasis’ reunion tour dates.
Within the survey, 91 per cent mentioned that they assume surge pricing ought to be made unlawful within the UK, and 83 per cent mentioned they’d not be keen to pay greater than face worth for occasions with increased demand than provide.
“Dynamic ticketing is extraordinarily efficient in making a second of excessive stress the place your concern of lacking out can push you into shopping for tickets at inflated costs you could’t afford. It’s massively irresponsible, unfair and I consider it ought to be banned,” one mentioned.
One other added: “Ticket resale at inflated costs isn’t of any profit to music and the humanities and when I’m caught up in chasing after tickets at ridiculous costs know that I might be giving my cash to somebody who doesn’t care in regards to the roots or the music.”
The difficulty applies to the price of re-sale tickets too, with 97 per cent of contributors agreeing that folks ought to must promote tickets for a similar worth or much less if they can not attend, and the identical quantity consider that extra ought to be performed to stop automated ticket sale bots.
Final yr, touts reportedly value music followers an additional £145million per yr, and Oasis alone have been compelled to cancel greater than 50,000 tickets to their reunion tour offered by way of secondary ticket websites.
Talking on the findings, David Martin, CEO of Featured Artists Coalition mentioned: “The outcomes of the Music Followers’ Voice Survey have one overriding message: the connection between artists and followers supplies the beating coronary heart of reside music. It’s their shared ardour which drives music discovery, ticket gross sales, attendances, and in-venue spending.”
“Clearly, many followers are feeling the monetary pinch proper now. It’s one thing all of us have to be acutely aware of. However that makes it much more heartening that respondents put such an emphasis on supporting artists, whether or not via shopping for their merchandise and vinyl at exhibits or backing the idea of a ticket levy on enviornment and stadium occasions,” he added.
“The FAC hears that message loud and clear. It’s given us renewed vigour to crack on with our 100% Venues marketing campaign, and to push more durable for the blanket adoption of a ticket levy to assist these most impacted by the price of touring disaster in grassroots reside music.”
You will discover all the survey outcomes right here.
The push for extra assist for reside music venues comes after startling figures have been shared in the beginning of the yr, revealing that 70.6 per cent of unbiased UK acts have by no means toured, whereas 84 per cent of unsigned artists merely can’t afford to. Points stemmed into the precise basis of the UK’s reside scene too, with one other research shared in January revealing that 2024 noticed the UK lose one grassroots music venue each two weeks – with practically half making a loss and 200 remaining in a state of emergency.
There was intervention from the UK authorities to assist protect the way forward for reside music although. Firstly of this yr, it was shared that parliament was wanting right into a worth cap on how a lot touts can re-sell tickets for, in addition to an official session into the business and controversial ‘dynamic pricing’ practices.
“We’re not asking whether or not to behave, we’re asking tips on how to act and what motion to take,” MP Chris Bryant instructed NME. He additionally added that the session would incorporate “growing accountability of ticket re-sale web sites and strengthening client enforcement”.
