A levy on tickets sold for arena and stadium shows is being backed by the UK government, while VAT cuts are out the window. The UK government is addressing an alarming crisis in grassroots music venues (GMVs), with closures accelerating and the live music ecosystem under threat. A report from the Culture, Media, and Sport (CMS) Committee outlines a series of urgent recommendations aimed at stabilising the sector. Grassroots venues are critical hubs for developing creative and technical talent within the music industry, yet they are disappearing at a rate of two closures per week. Between 2022 and 2023, the…