For the past few years, Harry Styles, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Sam Fender and more have been doing their bit to support the grassroots music scene, as all have pledged proceeds from their tours (at least £1 from every ticket sold) to be donated to the LIVE Trust, a freshly established group that features stakeholders from across the industry.
So far, £5 million has been raised for the cause. Now, a portion of that money (£125,000) is about to be distributed to eligible artists for the very first time via a series of new initiatives — the second-largest of which is the newly formed U.K. Artist Touring (UKAT) Fund.
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The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) has announced that applications for the first portion of the UKAT Fund will open on Wednesday (March 11). The partnership, arranged by the FAC alongside the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Musicians’ Union (MU), is designed to respond to what the FAC calls the “cost of touring crisis” in grassroots live music. U.K. Music and Arts Council England have also backed and assisted the plans.
The UKAT Fund will offer “top-up” contributions to existing tours to help reduce shortfalls in touring budgets — a key issue for both emerging and established acts in the current climate. Many have reported that they’re operating at significant losses.
“It’s a desperately needed intervention,” David Martin, chief executive of the FAC, tells Billboard U.K. of the plans. “We want to get newer artists out there and play to build their live footprint. We’re trying to allow artists to present themselves how they want to be seen as a live act.”
Applicants can apply for a total of £7,000, or a maximum of 40% of total eligible tour expenditure. They must play three U.K. headline shows of capacities between 75 and 2,000 before October 31, 2026, and must have released new original music in the past three years. Submissions are due before 11:59 p.m. on March 20. See the full list of criteria here.
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The fund and application process have been hammered out following discussions with stakeholders. Martin says the scheme is open to artists of all genres.
In a statement to Billboard U.K., emerging artist SOFY says, “I am so excited by this initiative and the invaluable experiences it’s going to create for artists and fans alike, as well as opening up opportunities for touring professionals such as engineers and TMs. This feels like an important step in the right direction, and something the UK music industry has needed for as long as I can remember — towards more accessible, safer and higher quality tours for everyone involved.”
While the voluntary donations to the LIVE Trust by a number of big names have been celebrated, Martin acknowledges there has been a gap in understanding what those funds will be used for — but adds that the UKAT Fund can make it “really tangible” for fans and industry. “Once we’re able to say, ‘here are shows that are happening because of the donation,’ it’ll be much easier to grasp the concept for the artists and teams that have decided to pay in.”
In 2024, a landmark Parliamentary report by the Culture, Media & Sport Committee highlighted that the number of artists who are able to head “out to tour across the UK and abroad” has fallen “by as much as 74% compared to pre-pandemic numbers,” and that the cost of touring — incuding accommodation, transport and equipment — has risen significantly in line with the U.K. cost of living crisis. In 2022, inflation in the U.K. was measured at 11% on the Consumer Prices Index, and in 2026, it sits at 3% year-on-year — significantly higher than the 2% target rate set by the Bank of England. The Music Venue Trust reported that in 2025, 53% of grassroots music venues in the United Kingdom were unable to turn a profit.
Martin says that tours have become shorter but also less varied in location; artists are more likely to play shows in major hubs (including London, Manchester and Birmingham) rather than head to smaller regional towns and venues, ultimately passing costs onto the consumers who must travel to shows.
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“We’re trying to sustain careers, and we’re also trying to push music into regions,” Martin says. “It’s funding the whole pipeline that makes tours happen — from the supply chain of personnel and services, accommodation, travel managers, agents that rely on that activity for their income — [and helps] the artists expand their audiences.”
Having greater exposure to the arts, Martin adds, can address the problem of class inequality in the arts. “You’ve got a class of people who just cannot afford to participate in the music industry,” he says. “All these niche scenes that we export globally — be it pop, punk, drum’n’bass — come from underground working class movements.”
According to Martin, the initiative shows the industry that a “harmonious” approach to problem-solving can benefit all involved. “We’re really poor in this country when talking about the expenditure of money as investment, but surely you can see these artists…are your future headliners,” he says.
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Martin adds, “To have a healthy sector, it’s important to have both a healthy performer pipeline, but also a pipeline of audiences that care and are passionate about great music and can afford to attend events.”
The Labour government has been supportive in tackling these issues. Ian Murray, the minister for creative industries, says he wants to see 50% of all shows with a capacity of 5,000 or more contributing to the fund in 2026. While a mandatory levy has not been ruled out, Martin says, “I think the whole industry would prefer to drive this thing and to control it. I would argue that it knows best how to do it.”
With the funding window closing on March 20, Martin is excited about the prospect of artists getting the funding and hitting the road in the coming months. The program will be tweaked according to feedback from artists and their touring groups, but getting the ball rolling is an achievement to savour, he says.
“It’s surprising how relatively small amounts of money can make a difference,” he says. “We want to be doing a lot more of this and on a regular basis.” The ultimate goal: To help assist a future superstar who can pay back into the UKAT fund. “I’m looking forward to that story, which will happen,” he adds. “It’ll be a few years down the line, I’m sure, but I can’t wait for that.”
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