This week is English Tourism Week 2025! Running from 14th to 23rd March, it is back with a powerful slogan: “Supporting people and places to drive growth.’’ But what does this mean to us at Involving Music?
Well, last year, we explored how Exeter’s rich history and culture play a huge part in the city’s musical energy, and spotlighted the experiences that make it a must-visit before or after a gig.
The week-long campaign, led by VisitEngland, is a chance to celebrate the tourism sector and its invaluable contribution to the UK economy. For Team IM this year, we’re highlighting the critical role grassroots music venues play in England’s tourism sector.
With £100 billion generated annually from tourism in the UK, we’re making some serious noise about how music tourism is a driving force in the economy, creating jobs and opportunities while enhancing communities with the help of MVT’s most recent Annual Report.
[Source: MVT Report]
The aforementioned economic contribution comes with a challenge – many venues face financial strain and closure. The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has advocated for years to ensure grassroots venues receive the needed support. In a recent survey of 810 venues, the MVT revealed these spaces’ enormous contribution to the UK economy.
The venues that make up the Grassroots Music Venues (GMV) community collectively staged over 162,000 live music events and contributed £526 million directly to the UK economy. This includes performances from 1.5 million artists entertaining just under 20 million people. That’s no small doing!
But despite these fantastic figures, grassroots music venues face challenges. On average, venues in this sector operate on a profit margin of just 0.48%, with 43.8% reporting a loss.
Many venues are also forced to subsidise live music activity, amounting to a staggering £162 million in subsidies. This financial pressure is worsened by the disturbing decline in locations on the UK’s primary and secondary touring circuits, resulting in fewer opportunities for artists and options for music lovers.
Image Credit: Georgia Niblett-Pharaoh
Why Grassroots Music Venues matter
We know it’s not just about the numbers. The essence of grassroots music venues is their ability to provide a platform for local artists. Exeter venues like Exeter Phoenix, The Cavern and Bomba are the lifeblood of the local music scene, offering up-and-coming bands a place to showcase their talent, be inspired by other fellow musicians and connect with audiences. In these venues, artists can perform in intimate settings and gain invaluable experience that undoubtedly helps them grow as musicians.
More importantly, grassroots venues allow audiences to engage with live music experiences often unavailable in larger commercial spaces. Whether it’s the chance to see international acts or to experience local rising talent, these venues create unique experiences that make them an essential part of the tourism industry.
But there’s more – grassroots venues also support local economies, creating jobs for people in the community, such as sound engineers, bartenders, event managers, photographers, and many others. They serve as inclusive spaces where people can find work, develop creative skills and, very importantly, build connections with other artists.
Image Credit: Chelsea Branch
What it means for touring circuits
In recent years, grassroots venues have faced increasing challenges, including rising costs, restrictions and underinvestment. The number of venues on the UK’s primary and secondary touring circuits has dropped dramatically.
While in 1994, an average tour would include 22 dates in various locations, by 2024, that number had shrunk to just 11 stops, with many towns and cities no longer seeing national tours or local acts at all.
Musicians, audiences, and local communities alike feel the impact of this loss. For musicians, fewer opportunities to perform and connect with new audiences mean fewer chances to develop their careers. For local communities, losing a music venue means losing an essential space for culture, connection, and creativity.
Take, for example, the excitement of attending a gig: if a band you love is coming to a location near you, you’d likely buy your ticket, book a train, perhaps arrange for a meal or accommodation, and definitely head to a local pub for a pre-gig bevvy.
But if these tours are no longer taking place, what does it mean for the local economy? What does it mean for the community that prospers on the energy these events bring? Grassroots music venues and independent events are vital parts of this ecosystem and their success goes hand in hand with the vitality of the tourism sector.
Will you help us make more noise?
At Involving Music, we’re big believers in the power of live music and grassroots venues. It’s about community, creativity, and culture – it’s about supporting local talent.
This English Tourism Week, we encourage everyone to:
▶ Attend live gigs – whether it’s a major international act or a local band trying to make their mark.
▶ Support venues – not just through attending events but buying a drink, some merch or leaving a review and simply sharing their posts on social media.
▶ Spread the word – help raise awareness about the importance of grassroots venues and music tourism. (Share this blog!)
In many ways, the decline of smaller venues and live performances impacts more than just the gig-goers; it disrupts local businesses, restaurants, hotels, and all the sectors that rely on visitors coming into town for the night.
As venues struggle with increasing costs and shrinking budgets, the ripple effect is felt across the tourism industry. This is why English Tourism Week is so important. It reminds us that tourism is more than big cities, beach breaks and tourist attractions. It’s local pubs, small businesses, and the community that comes together around live music, food, and culture.
Grassroots venues and grassroots music must remain key parts of the English tourism experience.
We pledge to continue making serious noise, to ensure that live music, local talent, and grassroots venues continue to bloom and boom across England.
