DIY Spirit: The grassroots 2023

CHAIR: MARK DAVYD, MUSIC VENUE TRUST (UK)

We are all learning that higher production, admin, and energy costs are the new normal. While these can be factored into the ticket price by bigger shows, margins on grassroots touring are far slimmer.

Having weathered the pandemic but now facing multiple new challenges, how are grassroots artists, venues, and their teams making it work in different international markets? Can the industry continue to rely on new talent emerging from a grassroots scene that is nothing more than a labour of love?

Grassroots music venues are the cultural heart of towns and cities and a critical proving ground for tomorrow’s biggest stars. Forgetting big shows and festivals for 60-minutes, how healthy is the scene right now, and what new routes are there to making tours work and keeping doors open? And most importantly of all, what does the rest of the live business have to do to protect these vital breeding grounds?