CEO of LIVE Jon Collins responds to Budget 2024

06 March 2024 - Press release

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE, responding to the Budget delivered by the Chancellor. 

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE: “LIVE welcomes the Chancellor's announcement that the tax reliefs for orchestras and theatres will be made permanent. However, today's Budget represents yet another missed opportunity to accelerate the growth of the live music sector and the wider economy while also providing urgently needed support for grassroots music through the reintroduction of a lower VAT rate. 20% VAT on tickets in the UK is vastly out of step with our competitors in Europe and North America and has become a material factor limiting the number of gigs, tours and festivals our world class industry can put on.  Fewer shows mean reduced economic activity in towns and cities across the country – an estimated £1m is spent in local businesses for every 10,000 people who attend a gig – and heaps further pressure onto grassroots music venues that are closing down at an alarming rate. We need urgent action to ensure the whole sector can prosper in the long term."