Manchester City Council announces £245,000 fund for grassroots music venues

Manchester City Council has teamed up with the Music Venue Trust (MVT) to launch a new £245,000 fund supporting struggling venues in the city.

In an announcement shared via Instagram yesterday (October 30), MVT shared details of the Grassroots Music Venue Fund, which it describes as a "targeted fix to stop vital venues being priced out of the city they helped put on the map".

The fund is established in response to the reduction in UK Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Rate Relief from 75% to 40%, changes which came into force on April 1 and will last until March 31, 2026.

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While forthcoming changes have yet to be announced by the government, it is expected that Business Rate Multipliers will heavily impact businesses with properties worth over £500k, while assets above £51k will also see significant changes in tax rates.

Applications for the Grassroots Music Venue Fund grant are now open, with small-scale venues in Manchester able to apply for 35% of their 2025/26 business rates liability for up to £20,000.

Applicants must be operating as a live music venue and host regular events, promote themselves as a live music venue in Manchester, feature live music programming around 3-4 times per week, or "consistently feature music within a wider cultural programme".

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For venues that offer other services - such as selling alcohol, food or merchandise - music must be the primary focus to be considered for the grant.

Despite Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) figures showing a 4.3% increase in the amount of nightlife venues in Manchester in 2024, the North West of England had the most closures in the UK, with 19 businesses ceasing operations in the same period.

Applications for the Grassroots Music Venue Fund are open now and will close on November 28; recipients can expect payment to be issued by the end of January 2026. You can apply here.

Read MVT's full statement on the Grassroots Music Venue Fund below.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter