Bryant reveals timeline for grassroots music ticket levy

Arts Minister Chris Bryant has said the government wants to see a voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to come into effect “as soon as possible” in 2025.

In a letter addressed to Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage, Bryant says the government wants to see “tangible progress across the music industry by the first quarter of 2025” and urges the music industry’s biggest commercial players to lead the way.

Bryant added that he will convene a ministerial roundtable before Christmas with live music representatives “to help drive progress and look to unblock any remaining barriers to an effective industry-led solution”.

The Labour MP was responding to a letter Dinenage sent to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy last month, which called for clarity over the timescale for the delivery of a music industry-led ticket levy. 

The CMS Committee backed calls for a levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music venues earlier this year.

At the end of last month, a fund inviting artists and companies to donate to support the UK’s grassroots music sector, launched by music charity Music Venue Trust and live music advocacy platform Save Our Scene, officially launched.

Artists Coldplay, Sam Fender and Katy Perry have all agreed to donate a proportion of revenues from their 2025 UK tours to support the grassroots sector.