Harry Styles Ticket Levy Funds First Touring Grants
Harry Styles is among the major acts backing a £1 ticket levy that has begun paying out to UK grassroots artists and venues, as rising costs make it harder for emerging bands to tour. The scheme, administered through the Live Trust, is designed to funnel money from arena and stadium shows into the lower tiers of the live music ecosystem.
BBC News reported that the £1 levy on tickets for arena and stadium concerts by artists including Styles, Lily Allen and Take That has raised £5m for the Live Trust, with the first £500,000 now being distributed to musicians and grassroots venues.
Norwich country-rock band Brown Horse were among the first recipients, receiving nearly £5,000 to help cover accommodation, keep ticket prices affordable and pay themselves for the first time in a year, according to the report. The BBC said the first tranche includes support for 26 acts, while separate funding is being allocated to venues, promoters, festivals and producers.
Blur drummer Mr David Rowntree, who chairs the Featured Artists Coalition and helps oversee the distribution to musicians, said a mix of Brexit, Covid and the cost of living crisis has contributed to a “cost of touring crisis”, warning that it is “virtually impossible” for new artists to make touring pay for itself. Styles’ run of 12 Wembley Stadium shows this summer could raise a significant sum for the fund.
The levy remains voluntary, with ministers indicating it could be made mandatory if take-up does not increase, as the industry looks for longer-term solutions to protect the pipeline that takes acts from small rooms to the biggest stages.
