#LetTheMusicPlay: Radiohead, Dua Lipa, Laura Marling, Liam Gallagher & more sign open letter to UK government

Several months ago Music Venue Trust started the #saveourvenues campaign to help support grassroots venues in dire straits due to the colossal financial impact Covid-19 has had on live music. The UK government failed to respond with the necessary support. 

Now, as many venues, festival promoters, and industry professionals are on the brink of collapse, the industry has banded together to plea to the government for urgent financial support sending an open letter to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden. Over 1,500 leading artists have signed the open letter including Radiohead, Nick Cave, Dua Lipa, The Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher, Laura Marling, Muse, Jarvis Cocker, and countless other artists and leading industry figures. You can read the joint letter here. 

Campaign organisers Concert Promoters Association state that with no end in sight for social distancing, and a lack of a credible plan to reintroduce live music, up to 50% of the live music industry's workforce is facing unemployment, and 90% of grassroots venues under the threat of closure if action isn't taken to protect them. A £50million cash injection is being proposed to help sustain the industry until it can operate fully, and help to protect what we hold dear: our world leading music scene and culture. Countries like Germany and New Zealand have issued support packages to protect arts industries, now the UK government needs to step up and help protect an industry that contributed £4.5billion to the UK economy in 2019. 

You can show your support by signing the petition here, and sharing your most recent, favourite gig on social media with the hashtag #LetTheMusicPlay. Tag @giglist and we'll share as many as possible.