North West England suffered most venue closures in the UK in 2023, study finds
The study notes that despite closures, interest in live music has surged in recent years
The North West of England suffered the most music venue closures in the UK in 2023, according to a new study from music tech company A2D2.
The study revealed that the North West saw 19 venue closures in 2023, followed by 17 in London, 16 in Yorkshire & The Humber, and 10 in the West Midlands.
A2D2 analysed data from the Small Music Venues Index, and referenced a recent report from the Music Venues Trust which revealed that a staggering 125 grassroots music venues in the UK shut down in 2023 alone.
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Despite venue closure rates, the study notes that public interest in live music has surged in recent years, with a 70% rise in searches for “grassroots music venues” over the last year.
“The closure of grassroots music venues across the UK is deeply concerning, yet sadly, unsurprising,” says A2D2 founder Peter Fealey.
“With music venues still recovering from the economic cost of the pandemic, a lingering cost of living crisis, and a lack of government support, it’s not difficult to see why these cherished venues are closing.”
The study also reveals that despite having “arguably the most prominent music scene in the country”, London has just 6.4 music venues per million people.
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There are currently just 835 music venues left in the UK, the report shows, citing financial issues for closures due to an average rent hike of 37.5% across venues, as well as soaring energy bills and overheads.
Figures from the report also show that the West Midlands takes the lead on the number of grassroots spaces with 9.9 venues per million people.
“These independent spaces have been the lifeblood of the UK’s music scene, nurturing emerging talent and providing a platform for diverse sounds,” says Peter Fealey.
Read the full report from A2D2 here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
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