Manchester City Council announces £250,000 reinvestment into grassroots sector

Manchester has hosted some of the largest events this year, such as Oasis’ 5-night run at Heaton Park and the EMA MTV Music Awards. In a scheme nicknamed ‘What’s the Story? Grassroots glory’, Manchester City Council are reinvesting £250,000 of the money raised from arena and outdoor gigs this summer into the grassroots music sector. The scheme will be implemented by Music Venue Trust, who will ensure the funds reach the smaller venues that need it.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Bev Craig credited grassroots venues as “launchpads for acts to develop and grow”, with bigger gigs being “only possible because they are part of a wider ecosystem.”

Jay Taylor from the Music Venue Trust commended the Council for its “bold and innovative action.” He added, “We hope many more cities and towns across the country can join their efforts to secure the future of the UK’s grassroots music venue network.”

On Instagram, the MVT posted, “This is how it should work: Big gigs boost the economy, and that success is shared with the grassroots. Manchester City Council is setting aside almost £250,000 from this summer’s huge shows.” They added: “This support is now a blueprint.”

Read Rolling Stone’s full article here.