Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23

Fatboy Slim Backs £7 Million Plan to Secure Brighton's 60-Capacity Pipeline Venue

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23

Fatboy Slim Backs £7 Million Plan to Secure Brighton's 60-Capacity Pipeline Venue

Q: With investor Andy Burnham now Prime Minister, will a national ticket levy be mandated to save grassroots venues?

Not yet, but the chances of a mandatory levy have increased. Andy Burnham’s elevation to prime minister matters because he is already an investor in Music Venue Properties and has been a vocal supporter of grassroots venues and of a £1 levy on arena and stadium tickets. That puts a strong ally of the policy at the top of government. The key point, though, is that no statutory national levy has been announced yet. The current system remains a voluntary £1 contribution on larger shows, with ministers having previously warned that if the industry failed to deliver enough uptake, the government could put the scheme on a legal footing. Evidence suggests the voluntary model has underperformed. Reporting cited in the background says only about 30% of eligible shows were participating, below the 50% target set for June 30, 2026. That missed benchmark strengthens the case for intervention. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and other ministers had already reserved the right to legislate if progress fell short. So the likely answer is that a mandate is now more plausible than before, but it is still not confirmed. Burnham’s personal backing for grassroots music, combined with the weak take-up of the voluntary levy and the continuing closure risk facing small venues, means the policy is firmly in play. Until Downing Street or the culture department formally announces legislation, however, it remains a live possibility rather than settled government policy.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23

The Pipeline’s building in Brighton is set to become community-owned after Fatboy Slim invested in a £7 million Music Venue Properties initiative to buy the site.
MVP acquires venue freeholds and leases them back to operators, aiming to shield grassroots music spaces from rent hikes and give them long-term security in a tough economic climate.
The Pipeline will become MVP’s 10th site, joining venues including The Booking Hall in Dover and The Joiners in Southampton under the model dubbed the “National Trust for music venues.”
Thomas Evrenos, who has run The Pipeline since 2017, said a landlord that understands the venue’s purpose could keep it alive, adding he might have quit if rents had been pushed up.
The deal extends support from high-profile backers including Andy Burnham and Glenn Tilbrook, underscoring wider concern over preserving small venues where emerging artists develop.