Small Music Venues in England get £2.2m Emergency Tax Payer Funding

The BBC have reported that up to 150 small music venues in England will share £2.25m

emergency government funding intended stop them going to the wall after four months with no gigs.

It is the first slice of a £1.57bn arts relief fund to be allocated and follows warnings that many venues are at risk.

The Music Venues Trust welcomed the funding as "a short-term fix".

Earlier this month, 1,500 artists from Liam Gallagher and Dua Lipa to Sir Paul McCartney signed an open letter calling for support for the live music scene.

If 150 venues are helped, they would receive an average of £15,000 each. Some grants could be bigger, up to £80,000.

The MVT, which represents small venues, said the money was "very welcome and desperately needed as we wait to hear how the recently announced £1.57bn rescue package for the arts will be administered and distributed".

Chief executive Mark Davyd added: "This interim solution will provide a short-term fix for those venues identified as being in crisis but we urgently need information and guidance on when and how venues can access the larger fund, which is so vital to safeguarding their longer term futures."