‘We have learnt to change and adapt’: Music venues succeed after Covid lockdowns — but at a cost
For many across the UK, attending live music concerts is a favourite pastime — which was quickly undermined following the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Since the end of restrictions, however, it hasn’t taken long for music venues to return to normal.
New data shows that ticket sales for live music events in the UK have increased from pre-Covid pandemic levels by 28%. This percentage is additionally expected to increase dramatically by 2027, at 77%.
A main organisation that has been involved in restoring national live music venues to their original states is the Music Venue Trust (MVT).
The charity exists to represent, advise and raise money to maintain 960 grassroots music venues across the UK — particularly if they are at risk of legal complications, planning issues and closure.
Venues supported by the MVT benefitted from a 24% ticket sales increase in 2022, according to the organisation’s latest Annual Report. Members of the trust contributed over £500 million to the national economy, through both ticket sales and additional amenity and food and drink charges.
Geoff Priestley, General Manager of the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth, a venue supported by the MVT, said: “The Wedgewood Rooms is the only grassroots music venue in Portsmouth. We are an integral part of Portsmouth’s cultural infrastructure, and we have connections with all parts of the community.
“Our stage has seen artists both national and international, of all musical genres for 31 years. The venue has played host to some now-famous artists, such as Muse and Dua Lipa, when they were little-known.”
The Wedgewood Rooms was one of many venues nationally that was forced to adjust to COVID-19 guidelines set by the Department of Health and Social Care throughout the pandemic, such as ‘vaccination passports’ for entering venues and one-way queuing systems. For the Wedgewood Rooms in particular, Covid anxiety was a particular problem.
Priestley said: “When the Covid lockdowns ended, we were effectively cramming 2 years of shows into 18 months. There was enthusiasm for live events, but it was tinged with some caution about being in an enclosed space for the first time in a long time.
“Pre-Covid, the percentage of people with tickets not attending shows was on average about 8%. In the first year after Covid — possibly because shows had been moved and because of post-Covid worries — that rate rose to nearly 20%.”
Now having successfully rebooted events at the venue since 2021, Priestley and the Wedgewood Rooms team have continued to diversify the venue’s services — not just pertaining to music.
“We work in partnership with other cultural organisations within Portsmouth and beyond, and also host independent film events,” Priestley said.
“We work with promoters and charities to raise funds and awareness for multiple causes. We also work with local colleges as educational partners to their music departments, and supply training, performance space and career talks every year.”
Despite the successes celebrated by the national music venue industry after the end of the Covid pandemic, a risk still exists in the form of the current cost-of-living crisis.
Data supplied from the MVT indicates that the average grassroots music venue will be required to pay just under £5 million per month in energy bills in the near-future, with the highest estimate of fees being over £8 million.
Due to the need to power various musical equipment, lighting and sound structures, less affluent music venues may struggle to obtain financial support, thus contributing to a further threat of permanent closure.
Priestley suggested that while the Wedgewood Rooms has noticeably experienced a reduction in ticket revenue following the cost-of-living crisis, Portsmouth residents are aware of the financial implications of attending live music events.
“We had less touring acts in the autumn of 2022, as there was uncertainty around the costs of touring. Since 2023, we are hosting slightly less touring acts than we would do, but attendances at these shows have been higher than anticipated, and spending has increased.
“It feels like people are going out less, but when they are out, they are out. After the concerns in the autumn about the rising bills, it seems like this has settled down and customers now know the level of their disposable income.”
The MVT have had an important role in supporting venues who have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
National grassroots venues, such as Alexander’s Live, Chester and Backstage at the Green Hotel, Kinross, have received grants as high as £4,600 from the charity in order to provide new lighting equipment, as well as improved sound desks for live performances, having needed to use venue funds in order to pay off energy bills for these venues.
While the cost-of-living crisis will undoubtedly have an effect on the music venues we attend — as it does on our households — the Wedgewood Rooms remain positive that the venue will continue to provide quality entertainment for the people of Portsmouth and surrounding areas, as it has since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Priestley said: “One of the good things about having been around for 31 years is that we have faced various economic crises over the years; we have learnt to change and adapt.
“We think that people still want to be entertained and forget the pressures of life for a night, and so we will endeavour to do this to the best of our ability.”
