Bristol gig-goers could soon have to pay ticket tax to help pay for city’s ‘incredible’ music scene

For a gig costing £20, punters would pay an extra 20p

11:47, 23 Sep 2025Updated 11:57, 23 Sep 2025

Bristol gig-goers could soon have to pay ticket tax to help pay for city’s ‘incredible’ music scene

A one per cent levy could be charged on every gig ticket in Bristol to raise money which would be reinvested into the music scene. Bristol City Council is considering a gig levy to help grassroots music venues survive as many across the country are struggling to stay afloat.

Every gig ticket in the city would have a levy of one per cent of the cost, like a booking fee, paid by the customer. So for a gig costing £20, punters would pay an extra 20p. That would be collected into a central pot, generating an estimated £400,000 to £1 million every year.

Councillors on the economy and skills policy committee gave the go-ahead for preparations on Monday, September 22. This will see a new Community Benefit Society set up, which will manage the Bristol Music Fund.

Carly Heath, the council’s night-time economy adviser, said: “Music is clearly very central to Bristol’s cultural identity. Grassroots venues nurture music talent, they bring communities together, and they provide the gathering spaces where people can come and celebrate and bathe in joy.

“There is chronic underinvestment in the music sector, particularly at that grassroots level, not just in Bristol but nationally. In Bristol, 78 per cent of our events happen in venues that are under 1,000 capacity. So the majority of our venue estate is technically ‘grassroots’. But these generate only 32 per cent of the annual ticketing revenue that the city receives.”

Annual ticket revenue is between £42 million and £70 million, not including the wider economic benefit of gigs like a pre-concert pint in a nearby pub. Last year 16 per cent of grassroots venues across the country closed, due to a mix of rising costs and limited access to public funds.

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Ms Heath added: “It’s easy to see where the disparity is on who’s doing the lion’s share of the work in creating an incredible music scene and underpinning Bristol’s reputation, but receiving a really small proportion of the revenue that the city generates. This self-sustaining model is to make sure that we can look after the music sector in the city for the future.”

The fund could pay for various costs like venues improving soundproofing or accessibility, putting on new mid-week events, and subsidising fees for support bands. Mentoring, professional development and covering the costs of cancelled events could also feature.

As well as helping venues, the Bristol Music Fund could support artists to create and develop music. Money would also go towards skills and training and ensuring there are “meaningful career pathways” for staff working in the industry. A recent survey of 500 gig-goers found that most would support paying an extra one per cent on their concert tickets for a new levy.

Green Councillor Cam Hayward said: “I think it’s a brilliant proposal. It’s not just about supporting venues but artists as well. I have friends who play gigs and they also have other jobs. It’s giving them the platform they need to build their career.”

Venues would volunteer to charge the levy, so they could opt out, but customers would have to pay the extra one per cent if the venue charged it. The Community Benefit Society would be owned and governed by representatives of different parts of the music industry.

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