From Pubs to The Pyramid Stage – Matty Healy of The 1975 Backs New National Festival Celebrating Where British Music Begins

29 July 2025 - Press release

The Seed Sounds Weekender will host 2,000+ gigs in 1,000+ pubs, bars & restaurants nationwide, aiming to unite and celebrate the £2.4bn sector that’s given Britain's biggest artists their first stage.

 With Britain's much-loved live music and hospitality sectors facing unprecedented economic challenges, a groundbreaking new festival – The Seed Sounds Weekender – will celebrate the indispensable role ‘seed music venues’ play in cultivating Britain's future headliners.

Presented by live music marketplace GigPig, this UK’s largest multi-venue music festival will transform over 1,000 pubs, bars, restaurants, and hotels across 20 UK towns and cities into vibrant stages. Taking place from September 26-28, 2025, the festival will feature more than 2,000 performances from local artists, spotlighting venues that play a pivotal role in launching British artists' careers and contribute over £2.4 billion to the UK economy annually.

The festival launches with support from Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975 and Seed Sounds Weekender ambassador, who passionately urges Brits to support their local seed venues. These vital hospitality spaces provide the critical first stage for most music artists, fostering raw talent and shaping their sound before they hit bigger stages – a sector estimated to generate over £500 million in artist fees annually from an incredible 3 million+ gigs a year."

"Local venues aren't just where bands cut their teeth, they're the foundation of any real culture," says Matty Healy. "Without them, you don't get The Smiths, Amy Winehouse, or The 1975. You get silence. The erosion of funding for seed and grassroots spaces is part of a wider liberal tendency to strip away the socially democratic infrastructure that actually makes art possible. What’s left is a cultural economy where only the privileged can afford to create, and where only immediately profitable art survives. The Seed Sounds Weekender is a vital reminder that music doesn't start in boardrooms or big arenas; it starts in back rooms, pubs, basements, and independent spaces run on love, grit, and belief in something bigger."

Historically overlooked by the wider music industry and policymakers, The Seed Sounds Weekender will, for the first time, formally unite and celebrate this fragmented sector as a cornerstone of the UK’s music scene, which showcases a diverse line-up from emerging acts to established working musicians. 

 

These venues have previously hosted some of the UK’s biggest artists, including

●       Arctic Monkeys at The Grapes in Sheffield

●       Amy Winehouse at Rayner’s Hotel in Harrow

●       Oasis at The Broadwalk in Manchester

●       Adele at the Buffalo Bar in Cardiff

●       The 1975 at The Castle Hotel in Manchester

"The UK's seed venues are where music careers are born," adds Kit Muir-Rogers, Co-Founder of GigPig. "Collectively, this space promotes more music than any other in the live music business, yet it has gone overlooked and under-appreciated. The Seed Sounds Weekender is not just a festival; it's a rallying point for a sector that deserves to be celebrated for its immense contribution to British music."

Festival partners Uber, Skiddle, UseYourLocal and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) are onboard to power this pivotal event. Attendees can access most gigs via a free Seed Sounds Weekender ticket. To ensure seamless access and remove transport barriers, ticket holders will receive discounted Uber rides to and from participating venues. Major hospitality players including Stonegate Group, Laine Pub Co., New World Trading Company, BrewDog, Diecast, Boom Battle Bars, Alberts Schloss, Stack, and Tokyo Industries are among the confirmed venues.

"We're incredibly proud to partner with The Seed Sounds Weekender," says Andrew Brem, UK General Manager for Uber. "These venues are vital cultural hubs, and enabling easier, safer access for music fans is a natural fit for Uber. It's about supporting local communities and ensuring this incredible part of British culture continues to thrive, even through challenging times."

“Stonegate is proud to be part of The Seed Sounds Weekender and to stand alongside so many brilliant venues championing live music,” comments David McDowall, CEO, Stonegate Group. "These seed music spaces play a vital role,  not just in supporting emerging artists, but in keeping UK culture vibrant and creating inclusive spaces where people can express themselves. This festival celebrates the social power of live music and the venues at the heart of their communities. Without these venues, we wouldn’t have the live music scene we all love today."

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), further stated: "Seed music venues are the incubators for the next generation of artists. They’re more than venues, they’re workshops, gathering spots, testing grounds. They’re where rough ideas get sharpened, where voices find confidence, where communities come together around sound and story. If we want to keep that creative fire burning, if we want new sounds, new voices, and scenes that speak to who we really are, then we’ve got to look after the seed spaces. That’s the foundation everything else stands on.”

The Seed Sounds Weekender arrives as both the live music and hospitality sectors continue to navigate rising costs, underscoring the vital cultural and economic role these 50,000 licensed venues play in the UK. This sector collectively hosts over 3 million gigs annually, nurtures over 43,000 active musicians, and contributes an estimated £2.4 billion annually to the UK economy, with £500 million of that directly in artist fees.

Don't miss your chance to be part of history and support the future of British music! Secure your free tickets and join the celebration this September.

Find tickets and more information, including a full list of participating venues and artists, at SeedSoundsWeekender.com.