Arena operator pledges support to grassroots music venues

Venue management company ASM Global has committed to supporting grassroots music venues through a partnership with charity Music Venue Trust (MVT).

The arena operator has committed to donations, training and marketing support for grassroots music venues, to be rolled out across each of its ASM Global venues, which include OVO Arena Wembley, AO Arena in Manchester and first direct Arena in Leeds.

The first fundraising commitment will be matching funds raised by Enter Shikari at their OVO Arena Wembley show in February 2024, after the band announced they will donate £1 from every ticket sold from their 2024 tour to grassroots venues.

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ASM Global says further fundraising activity for grassroots music venues via tickets for events at its venues will take place in the future.

Other initiatives involved in the support package include offering grassroots music venues access to training either online or at ASM Global venues. The training will cover areas including health and safety, cybersecurity, mental health and equality and diversity, with shadowing opportunities for those in the grassroots industry also in the works.

To help grassroots venues become as visible as possible in their local areas, ASM Global has also pledged marketing support, in measures including inclusion in newsletters, linking to venues websites with event and ticketing information and social media support.

ASM Global’s commitments follow recent comments from Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer at a DCMS Committee meeting, where she called upon the music industry, including arenas, to do more to help grassroots music venues.

Since her comments, the government has committed its own support towards grassroots music venues, including an additional £5m to Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music Venues fund.

Meanwhile, MVT has been calling for support from the industry, with the charity’s CEO, Mark Davyd, recently penning an open letter to Coldplay asking for a contribution from their ticket sales.

“We want to thank ASM Global for being the first arena operators to respond to our call for support from the live music industry to deal with the crisis engulfing grassroots music venues,” Davyd commented.

“This is an incredibly important first step towards ensuring that when an artist emerges from the grassroots sector, everyone shares in the success they generate once they reach the very top of the industry”.

ASM Global Commerical Director, Tom Lynch, said the company is very aware and concerned about the unprecedented cost pressures facing grassroots music venues, and the knock-on pressures placed on the talent pipeline.

“Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of our cultural fabric and where much of society truly falls in love with music for the first time,” Lynch added.

“As a team, we have always admired the passion and hard work of Music Venue Trust, in providing a voice to grassroots music venues and creating a framework for vital support to keep the music playing.”