For a lot of music followers, 2025 might be remembered because the yr Oasis returned. Their long-awaited reunion tour dominated the summer time, reviving bucket hats, Britpop nostalgia and producing greater than £300 million in ticket gross sales alone.
But beneath the headlines and stadium sell-outs, a far much less celebratory story is unfolding throughout the UK’s stay music ecosystem. Simply 11 of the 34 grassroots venues that hosted Oasis throughout their first tour in 1994 are nonetheless working as we speak — a stark illustration of how inconsistently success is now distributed throughout the sector.
Whereas the most important artists fill arenas and stadiums with ease, small venues and rising acts are being squeezed by a mixture of rising prices, altering shopper behaviour and authorities coverage. Trade figures warn that the pipeline for locating and growing new expertise is prone to collapse.
Julia Rowan, head of coverage and public affairs at PRS for Music, says the UK’s place as a worldwide music powerhouse can not be taken with no consideration. She argues that whereas stay music revenues are rising total, the advantages are more and more concentrated on the prime finish of the market, leaving smaller venues uncovered.
Streaming has performed a central position in reshaping the trade. Platforms similar to Spotify have made it simpler than ever to launch music, however they’ve additionally concentrated revenues amongst a small variety of world stars. For a lot of artists, touring has grow to be the first strategy to make a residing, reversing the normal mannequin the place stay exhibits promoted recorded music.
That shift has helped gas the rise of the “supertour”. Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, for instance, grossed greater than $2 billion globally, whereas legacy acts similar to Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen proceed to attract large crowds. Within the UK alone, stay music generated £6.7 billion in spending final yr and attracted 23.5 million music vacationers.
Nevertheless, the success of mega-tours is having unintended penalties. Excessive ticket costs — typically exceeding £100 or extra — are absorbing followers’ disposable revenue, leaving much less cash for smaller gigs. Mark Davyd, chief government of the Music Venue Belief, says there’s a pure restrict to how a lot audiences can spend on music in a yr.
“In the event you’re paying £150 or £200 for a stadium ticket, that inevitably eats into the price range it’s important to see new or rising artists,” he says.
On the identical time, grassroots venues are battling a pointy rise in working prices. Vitality payments, rents, staffing prices and journey bills have all elevated. Labour’s rise in employers’ Nationwide Insurance coverage contributions and the upper minimal wage have added additional strain. Even massive venues have felt the influence: James Ainscough, chief government of the Royal Albert Corridor, says the NI enhance alone has added £375,000 a yr to the venue’s prices.
For smaller venues, the scenario is extra precarious. The Music Venue Belief estimates that common revenue margins throughout grassroots venues are simply 0.5 per cent. Greater than a 3rd of operators are not paying themselves in any respect, with many counting on second jobs to maintain venues open.
Davyd describes these venues because the trade’s “analysis and growth labs” — important areas the place artists study their craft and audiences uncover new music. With out them, he warns, Britain dangers shedding its means to nurture future world stars. That concern is already mirrored within the information: no British artist appeared within the world prime 10 singles or albums in 2024 for the primary time in additional than 20 years, in keeping with IFPI figures.
There are indicators of collective motion. A voluntary ticket levy has been launched, permitting arenas and stadiums so as to add a small contribution to tickets to help grassroots venues. The Royal Albert Corridor was the primary main venue to undertake the levy, whereas the O2 Area has agreed to share revenues when new artists carry out there.
The federal government has voiced help for the levy and moved to cap ticket resale costs, however critics argue that latest tax and business-rates adjustments are undermining these efforts. As Ainscough places it, the sector is dealing with a “good storm” of challenges.
Trade leaders stress that creativity in Britain stays plentiful. What’s lacking, they argue, is a monetary and coverage atmosphere that permits that creativity to flourish past the most important levels. With out intervention, they warn, the following Oasis could by no means get the possibility to be heard.
