140 UK Music Venues Removed From ‘Critical’ List Thanks To #SaveOurVenues Campaign

Just three weeks into their #SaveOurVenues campaign – and following on from the news that they had already passed the £1million mark – the Music Venue Trust have announced that 140 grassroots venues have been removed from their 'critical' list.

With over 500 UK venues under economic threat due to coronavirus, the Music Venue Trust have confirmed that 140 of those have been protected from imminent closure – and though that doesn't mean they're totally safe in the long-term, for now they are no longer considered critical – which is a fantastic achievement.

“The fact we have managed to remove 140 grassroots music venues off of our critical list in the last three weeks is, of course, a cause for celebration but we are not complacent as this is only a relatively short-term fix,” explains Mark Davyd, founder and CEO of MVT.

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“Whilst the immediate threat of closure for these venues has been halted they are still under real threat in the coming months as are over 400 others. This is a good start and we can’t emphasise how grateful we are to those music fans, music industry companies and public organisations who have supported the #SaveOurVenues campaign so far, but we cannot relax as we still have a mountain to climb to secure the long-term future of this sector. We still desperately need more music industry companies to step up and help with donations alongside real action from government specifically around rent relief, more financial help and clearer guidance.”

While more virtual fundraising events and activities are lined up in the coming weeks, there are still hundreds of grassroots venues who are struggling to pay rent and bills with no income. Help keep the UK live music scene alive over to Crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-venues to follow total donations, and choose your own venue to support at Saveourvenues.co.uk.