Tixel become first ticketing company to introduce levy for LIVE Trust

29 May 2025 - Press release

Tixel become first ticketing company to introduce levy for LIVE Trust to support grassroots live music, also donates £20,000 to LIVE to assist their wider work advocating for the UK live music sector

A £1 LIVE Trust Contribution will apply to all transactions on UK arena and stadium music shows on Tixel’s ethical fan-to-fan exchange, with funds directly supporting live music, artists, venues, promoters, and festivals across the UK.

Tixel also announced a £20,000 donation in support of the wider remit of LIVE’s work, which includes policy and advocacy work in support of venues, festivals, artists, promoters and the wider live music industry on issues such as EU touring arrangements, accelerating inclusion and addressing the climate crisis.

Tixel, the honest fan-to-fan exchange trusted by millions of fans and event organisers worldwide, has made a £20,000 donation LIVE and announced an ongoing contribution in aid of LIVE Trust, recently established to support the UK’s grassroots live music industry - becoming the first ticketing company to do so.

Tixel’s pledge follows LIVE’s establishment of the Trust in January 2025, an initiative designed to support the grassroots ecosystem and keep live music at the heart of communities across the UK.

A £1 LIVE Trust Contribution will be automatically included at checkout on all transactions for shows at UK venues with capacities above 5,000, with 100% of all funds donated directly to the LIVE Trust to support a thriving sector and contribute to the artists and talent of tomorrow.

Matt Kaplan, Director of UK/EU at Tixel, said, “A thriving grassroots music sector is vital to a sustainable, successful music industry. The fact that two independent venues close every month in the UK should feel shocking and devastating to any fan of live entertainment and through our own donation to LIVE and the ongoing contribution from fans, we are committed to supporting live music, today and into the future. Particularly at the grassroots level, venues, artists, festivals, and promoters have been feeling the pinch of inflation and increased production costs. With more independent venues and festivals closing and operating at a loss each year, financial support is essential to surviving this crisis”

“Through Tixel’s partnerships with over 250 UK promoters, venues, and artists, we helped to maximise ticket sales and attendance to over 2,300 local events last year, while protecting fans from ticket touts and scalpers. Introducing the new LIVE Trust Contribution will increase our impact as fans come to Tixel for fair, safe and honest ticket exchanges,” Kaplan said.

“We applaud LIVE, and the various other organisations who are working hard to implement support programs on-the-ground, for stepping up and keeping the sustainability of live music today and tomorrow on the public agenda”, Kaplan added.

According to LIVE, 125 grassroots music venues closed permanently in 2023, the equivalent of two per week, 78 festivals were lost in 2024, and there has been a 50% decline in tour dates over the last three decades. A 2024 report by the Music Venue Trust — the hard-working grassroots venue charity organisation — found 43.8% of the UK’s grassroots music venues reported a loss in the last 12 months (Jan 2024 – Jan 2025), with many seeking financial help to prevent permanent closure.

 

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE, said:
“Parliament and Government have asked LIVE to step up, support the grassroots and implement a funding solution. Tixel’s generous support of LIVE will help underpin our wider work programme, our LIVE Talks, LIVE Workforce and LIVE Green initiatives do so much to improve the operating environment for all at the grassroots. By supplementing the donation with the £1 LIVE Trust contribution, Tixel is leading the way in establishing long-term, sustainable funding streams for our sector. This money will go straight to programmes supporting community-based music venues and festivals, artists and promoters. Tixel’s progressive attitude and willingness to act are so welcome in these challenging times. We hope others in the industry will follow their lead as, collectively, we can drive impactful and lasting change across the industry.”

Tixel is the safest and easiest way for fans to buy and sell tickets to any event and is committed to supporting a thriving UK music industry at all levels—from grassroots through its LIVE Trust donations, to its partnerships with promoters like Superstruct UK and venues like The Prospect Building in Bristol.