Artists pledge first £500k in ticket contributions to LIVE Trust

LIVE Trust is a new transformative funding initiative with the goal to offer necessary financial support to those working within the grassroots music sector. Set up by LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), a collective representing 15 live music industry organisations, the Trust has received pledges of over £500,000.

This money has been collected through voluntary ticket contributions of £1 per ticket from UK tours of domestic and international artists – including Pulp, Diana Ross, Mumford & Sons and Hans Zimmer. LIVE’s CEO Jon Collins extended thanks to artists and their teams who have already taken the initiative to support the wider live music ecosystem.

A panel of industry experts oversees the Trust, who work together to set a funding strategy to effectively support vibrant grassroots music scenes around the UK.

The recent release of the ‘Music Fans Voice’ survey findings corroborates evidence that the Trust’s concept is highly popular. With over 8,000 concertgoers surveyed, 93% of respondents supported the idea that £1 from every ticket for events with a capacity of 5,000 or more should go to a fund that directly supports the grassroots.

LIVE Trust is aiming to “convince government that a voluntary rather than statutory levy is both workable and sustainable.”