The Autumn Budget was published on Wednesday - and it came with some notable measures that’ll directly impact the live music industry.

LIVE’s CEO, Jon Collins, was disappointed to learn that the business rates reduction announced in July will not be extended to all music venues. However, it was great to see that other reliefs will be extended and LIVE will continue to push for a revised valuation method.

Jon said: 

“We welcomed the Government’s decision to increase business rates relief for live music venues to 35 per cent when it announced the measure in July, and we’re pleased to see it in today’s Autumn Budget. This additional support is an important recognition of the contribution venues make to our high streets, local economies, and communities across the UK.

However, we would have liked the relief to be applied to all live music venues, regardless of their size. The economic and cultural benefits these venues bring to our towns and cities do not stop at an arbitrary rateable value threshold. Larger venues support local jobs, attract visitors, and generate significant spending for surrounding businesses.

Longer-term reform of the business rates valuation system is also needed. The current system does not adequately reflect the operating costs and challenges currently facing live music venues. With the Government already reviewing valuation methods for pubs and hotels, we would encourage it to take the same approach to live music venues, including the introduction of a dedicated valuation category ahead of the 2028 revaluation.”

There were several other announcements in the budget that LIVE was pleased to see such as the Government’s £15m commitment to tackling misogyny. Just this week, LIVE had written to Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, to offer industry support for tackling misogyny, so welcome this announcement.

You can find out more about the main budget announcements impacting the live music industry on our Instagram.

LIVE Trust gets a Sam-tastic shout out - and our November shows

It’s been an exciting week for LIVE Trust. We received a shout-out from Sam Fender, who’s supporting LIVE Trust and opting in to our ticket contribution for his run of stadium shows next year. Sam took to Instagram to confirm that all tickets would include the £1 contribution to LIVE Trust, “who support the grassroots music system in the UK”.  We are delighted with this statement of support and look forward to putting the funds raised to great work across our sector.

With a new month around the corner, even more tours carrying the LIVE Trust pledge will be taking place across the country, including Niall Horan, Muse, and Courteeners. We’ll be announcing the full list on the LIVE Trust Instagram over the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled.

It might not sound like a lot, but £1 goes a long way. Across 130+ tours and 520+ shows, we’ve already put £1.5 million into the hands of the venues, artists, festivals and promoters who need it.

This is what’s possible when the industry invests in its own grassroots, on its own terms. The alternative? A statutory levy that’s costlier for promoters, less effective and out of the industry’s hands.

House of Lords launch inquiry into UK touring artists in the EU

The House of Lords European Affairs Committee has launched a short inquiry into UK touring artists in the EU. Rather than re-mapping the challenges already well documented, it will focus on what’s stopping progress and the most effective steps the UK Government could take to improve things.

The deadline for submissions is Monday 30 November. LIVE will be putting in its own response, and encourages others across the industry to do the same.

LIVE Green x PLASA Sector Sustainability Survey

LIVE Green has partnered with the PLASA to launch the 2026 Sustainability Survey examining awareness, attitudes and actions relating to sustainability and carbon emissions reduction within the entertainment and events technology sector.

Launched last Wednesday, the new survey will explore the music industry’s progress towards sustainability and net zero in the live events space. The survey aims to understand the priorities of industry professionals, the measures organisations are already taking, and the driving forces behind progress. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in January 2027. 

All responses will be anonymous and the survey will close on 18 November 2026. The survey can be accessed here.

LIVE’s Jon Collins speaks out at Un-Convention

All roads led to Manchester last week as LIVE CEO, Jon Collins, joined a packed roster of speakers at Unconvention. Jon was part of the opening panel that considered the state of play in music today. He was joined by representatives from LIVE member associations including LIVE Board member Annabella Coldrick (CEO, MMF), and Bev Whitrick (COO, MVT).

Jon focused on two significant pieces of work - progress on LIVE Trust and the REMEL report.  In both cases highlighting how proactive moves from industry can shape the regulatory environment to our benefit.