A Leighton Buzzard music venue has thrown its support behind a government proposal to introduce a levy on stadium and large arena ticket sales to help fund grassroots music venues.

The plan would see a portion of the profits from each ticket sold for major tours contribute to a fund supporting smaller venues.

Maxine Bambrook, owner of The Crooked Crow Bar, said: “This proposal could be a real lifeline for grassroots venues like ours. Live music is the beating heart of our community, but smaller venues are under constant pressure to stay afloat. Redirecting just a small fraction of profits from the biggest events could make an enormous difference.” when local MP Alex Mayer stopped by.

In recent years grassroots venues have faced big challenges such as the pandemic and inflation, leading to a high number of closures and job losses.

placeholder image — Alex Mayer MP at Crooked Crow Bar

The Government has given the sector a deadline of the end of March to show that they're making progress in establishing a voluntary levy to be implemented by early 2025.

Ms Mayer has urged ministers to act decisively, saying that they “should not hesitate” to enforce a levy if the music industry fails to establish a voluntary scheme.

Alex Mayer MP has written to Arts Minister Chris Bryant for an update on the proposals, emphasising the importance of swift action. She highlighted how many of the UK’s top-selling artists, including Ed Sheeran, Adele, Coldplay, and Stormzy, began their careers in grassroots venues.

Ms Mayer said: “Happy fifth birthday to The Crooked Crow Bar! It’s a fantastic venue that brings live music to life in our community. Come visit it and join the celebration!

"While the Crooked Crow Bar has established itself as firm fixture in town, Grassroots venues are still closing at an alarming rate, and not one of the top 10 best-selling songs of 2024 was by a British artist. These two issues are directly connected. This levy is essential to address the challenges facing grassroots music. If the bigger players who fill arenas and stadiums don’t step up voluntarily, the Government must ensure they do so.”

Mark Davyd, CEO and founder, Music Venue Trust, added: "Music Venue Trust warmly welcomes this positive response from the government. We strongly support their stance on the necessity and desirability of a grassroots contribution and believe this response sets out a clear and achievable path for the live music industry to swiftly adopt such a contribution."