Birmingham venues join with live music sector to urge Government rethink on tax hike
The bosses behind Utilita Arena Birmingham and bp pulse LIVE have joined with the live music sector to write to the Government calling for an exemption for live music venues from the new higher business rates multiplier for large properties.
The letter, signed by representatives from 14 arenas and iconic venues across the UK, says: "Despite repeated warnings from our sector, the policy as currently designed fails to distinguish between the Amazon-style warehouses it is explicitly intended to target, and live music venues. This approach ignores the profound economic, social, and cultural benefits our venues deliver to communities across the UK."
Industry experts say that every 10,000-capacity show at arenas like Utilita Arena Birmingham and bp pulse LIVE generates around £1 million of additional spending in the community – driving activity on the high street, benefitting businesses and supporting jobs in cities like Birmingham; and that arenas also generate significant tax receipts for the Government, including more than £100 million in VAT annually from ticket sales and ancillary income sales.
The letter, coordinated by LIVE, National Arenas Association (NAA), Music Venue Trust (MVT), and British Association of Concert Halls (BACH). adds: "The events at our arenas literally sustain high streets across the UK by bringing visitors willing to spend money in hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, and taxis and other businesses, supporting a key Government priority. This increased spend in high streets supports local businesses, sustains jobs, and drives growth in ways that large distribution centres never will.
