Liverpool City Council has announced a support programme to keep grassroots music venues alive
Liverpool City Council has announced a support programme to keep grassroots music venues alive
Liverpool City Council has introduced a new support programme for grassroots music venues, aimed at strengthening and sustaining the city’s smaller live music spaces. The initiative combines direct financial grants with tailored business development support, enabling venues to respond to ongoing challenges while continuing to showcase new and original music from Liverpool-based artists.
Across the UK, grassroots venues have faced mounting pressures in recent years, from rising operating costs and shifting audience behaviours to the broader impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
The grants scheme launches a year-long programme marking the tenth anniversary of Liverpool’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music. Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered in partnership with Music Venue Trust (MVT), the programme is built around two core pillars:
- Financial Support and Talent Development – a dedicated grants scheme will incentivise venues and promoters to programme new, original music by Liverpool‑based artists. Priority will be given to emerging and grassroots spaces, particularly those with a capacity under 300.
Applicants will be able to apply for support for up to six nights of live music programming, with grants of up to £3,000 per venue or promoter. These grants will help venues host new talent, grow audiences, and strengthen Liverpool’s pipeline of emerging artists.
- Business Support and Capacity Building – a bespoke package of business support, delivered in partnership with MVT. This will help both new and established venues strengthen their business models, diversify audiences, and respond to evolving trends across the live music sector.
The programme will additionally provide a referral route into Music Futures Promoter Development Project, a 12‑month development offer, supporting promoters from under‑represented backgrounds or working in under‑supported genres.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing & Culture said: “Liverpool’s reputation as one of the world’s great music cities starts in our small venues — the places where new ideas, sounds, and movements are born.
“This package is about investing in that creative energy, supporting venues to grow sustainably, and giving local artists the opportunity to perform and develop right here in our city. Our local music scene is one of Liverpool’s greatest strengths, enriching our culture and contributing to the economy.
“We’ll continue working with partners to ensure it has the support it deserves, as well as developing a programme to mark Liverpool’s decade as a UNESCO City of Music.”
Kevin McManus, Liverpool’s Head of UNESCO City of Music, said: “To be a great music city you absolutely have to have grassroots music venues at your very heart. This is where emerging artists take their first nervous foray on stage and where audiences are inspired by what they see and hear on stage. It is at these venues where, if you are lucky, you will experience a performance that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
“There is nothing like live music in a packed venue when you are sharing an amazing experience with all the like-minded fans in the room. You can see photos from someone’s phone or a recording of the gig, but nothing beats the experience of being there, in the moment, when that musical magic happens.”
- Liverpool City Centre
