New scheme launched to help support grassroots music venues across Liverpool

Liverpool City Council has launched a new grassroots music venues support programme designed to strengthen and sustain the city’s small live music spaces.

The programme brings together direct financial support with tailored business development assistance, helping venues adapt to ongoing challenges and continue to platform new and original music by Liverpool‑based artists.

Grassroots venues across the UK have faced significant pressures in recent years, including rising operational costs, changes in audience behaviour, and the wider impact of the cost‑of‑living crisis.

As a UNESCO City of Music, Liverpool is committed to safeguarding this essential part of its cultural infrastructure and ensuring that venues remain resilient, innovative and inclusive.

The grants scheme marks the start of a year-long programme to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Liverpool’s status as a UNESCO City of Music.

Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered in partnership with Music Venue Trust (MVT), the programme includes two core pillars:

Financial Support and Talent Development – a dedicated grants scheme will incentivise venues and promoters to programme new, original music by Liverpool‑based artists. Priority will be given to emerging and grassroots spaces, particularly those with a capacity under 300.

Applicants will be able to apply for support for up to six nights of live music programming, with grants of up to £3,000 per venue or promoter. These grants will help venues host new talent, grow audiences, and strengthen Liverpool’s pipeline of emerging artists.

Business Support and Capacity Building – a bespoke package of business support, delivered in partnership with MVT. This will help both new and established venues strengthen their business models, diversify audiences, and respond to evolving trends across the live music sector.

The programme will additionally provide a referral route into Music Futures Promoter Development Project, a 12‑month development offer, supporting promoters from under‑represented backgrounds or working in under‑supported genres.

Kevin McManus, Liverpool’s Head of UNESCO City of Music, said:

“To be a great music city you absolutely have to have grassroots music venues at your very heart. This is where emerging artists take their first nervous foray on stage and where audiences are inspired by what they see and hear on stage. It is at these venues where, if you are lucky, you will experience a performance that will stay with you for the rest of your life. 

“There is nothing like live music in a packed venue when you are sharing an amazing experience with all the like-minded fans in the room. You can see photos from someone’s phone or a recording of the gig, but nothing beats the experience of being there, in the moment, when that musical magic happens.”

Applications open: Monday 26 January 2026

Deadline for submission: Friday 13 February 2026 at 12 noon

Notification of outcome: No later than Friday 27 February 2026

Apply here.

Find some of the incredible grassroots music events happening across Liverpool on our calendar.

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