Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Brennan has been elected as the chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Music in the UK. The APPG for Music is one of the largest groups in Westminster with more than 100 members, who meet to discuss challenges and opportunities surrounding the music industry. Labour MP Brennan is …
Power of Music report showcases importance of music for health
A report from Music for Dementia and UK Music has outlined how music can improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, including those that are dealing with illnesses like dementia, depression and other conditions. The Power of Music report has been launched today (Wednesday) and has been designed to showcase to the UK Government, businesses and …
Landlord says The Leadmill will remain music venue
The Leadmill, an iconic venue in Sheffield, had originally been told that it must close by the landlord, who had served them with an eviction notice. However, according to reports from the BBC, landlord Electric Group has said that The Leadmill would continue “as a special music venue”. The live music venue first opened its …
Landlord says The Leadmill will remain music venue
Occupants and management of the Leadmill, an iconic venue in Sheffield, received the news that they would be evicted from the property next year, believing that the venue would close down as a result. However, Electric Group, which bought the Leadmill in 2017 and became a landlord for Leadmill’s leaseholder Phil Mills, said that the …
Industry figures react to UK Chancellor’s spring budget
UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has said he will keep the pressure on the UK Government over the proposed VAT rise on tickets in April, after Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured) failed to abandon the plans during his spring budget. The Government is set to raise the VAT on ticketing from 12.5% to 20% from …
Calls grow to ditch impending VAT hike on concert tickets
UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has written to UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak to reconsider an impending VAT hike on concert tickets. The Chancellor is set to outline a mini-Budget for the country on March 23 in his Spring Statement. The VAT rise is set to come into force from April 1. Currently, the VAT …
Businesses urged to apply for leftover Government COVID support grants
English businesses are being urged to keep applying for £840m ($1.3bn/€1bn) worth of COVID-19 support grants, which are still available. Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), Paul Scully, has urged businesses to apply for the grants, which were made available by the Government to councils across the country. Funding is made up …
LIVE survey showcases continuing cancellations in 2022
British organisation LIVE, which describes itself as the collective voice of the live music and entertainment industry, has found that the perfect mixture of COVID-19 and Brexit has already resulted in a quarter of live music shows being cancelled in the first quarter of 2022. Some 26% of UK shows have already been cancelled and …
UK Music calls for halt on VAT hike
UK Music, a British umbrella organisation for the music industry, has called for the UK Government to rethink its position on raising VAT on live event and attraction tickets, set to come into effect from March 31. VAT on certain tickets was slashed to 5% in July 2020 in the UK, in order to provide …
MPs call for Prime Minister to step in over EU touring issues
Members of Parliament (MPs) have demanded action from Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the issues faced by musicians and crew when it comes to touring within the European Union. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Music has revealed plans to hold a cross-party inquiry into the barriers and delays facing musicians. A letter has also …