Katy Perry has become the latest popular mainstream artist to pledge support for UK grassroots music venues.

Pop star Katy Perry has announced a significant contribution to the UK’s grassroots live music scene. For every ticket sold on her upcoming ‘The Lifetimes Tour,’ £1 will be donated to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), a charity dedicated to supporting grassroots venues. This initiative aims to keep small venues running, support emerging artists, and ensure communities can continue to enjoy live music at a local level.

“The contribution from these shows will keep venues open, get new and emerging artists out on tour, and enable promoters to bring the best in new music to our communities,” said MVT boss Mark Davyd.

Katy Perry’s initiative reflects a growing recognition of grassroots venues’ importance across the music industry. Coldplay also partnered with the Music Venue Trust recently to support its work, demonstrating how big-name artists can help spotlight this cause. These efforts complement broader campaigns, including the MVT’s Own Our Venues project, which focuses on securing venues’ ownership to protect their futures.

Another proposed solution gaining momentum is a ticket levy, where £1 from every ticket sold for major events could be directed to support grassroots venues. This idea has received backing from the UK government, which acknowledged the potential of a ticket levy to create sustained funding streams for the live music ecosystem.

Perry’s initiative is particularly meaningful given her own history with grassroots music. Her first-ever UK performance took place at The Water Rats, a 200-capacity venue in London. Now, as she prepares to perform at massive arenas like the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and The O2 in London, she’s using her platform to give back to the scene where she began.

The five venues on Katy Perry’s UK tour have a combined capacity of 85,600, highlighting the potential impact of the funds raised for the Music Venue Trust. If the UK government’s backing of a £1 ticket levy encourages more involvement from arenas and stadiums, grassroots venues could see a much-needed injection of more steady revenue.