Milton Keynes Council Awards £40,000 To Support Local Music Venues

Milton Keynes City Council has set aside £40,000 in funding to help support independent grassroots music venues across the city.

The venues selected to receive support include The Craufurd Arms, MK11, The Stables and Unit Nine. The funding will help them organise new DJ events and free live shows, as well as create more opportunities for up and coming artists from the local scene.

The Craufurd Arms plans to invest the funding into a series of live performances highlighting local bands, while MK11 is preparing to stage a selection of free concerts aimed at making live music easier to access while also making sure performers receive fair payment.

Unit Nine is also planning to expand its FUTURE SOUNDS programme, offering new DJs and producers the opportunity to perform to large crowds and build valuable live experience.

The Music Venue Trust’s criteria for what qualifies as a Grassroots Music Venue was used to determine which spaces could receive the funding. Councillor Shanika Mahendran, Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking, said: “As Milton Keynes grows and exciting new entertainment locations and opportunities come forward, it’s important that the incredible independent music venues crucial to the cultural scene in our city aren’t forgotten.”

She added: “These are where many bands and artists make their start, where music can be more accessible and affordable, and where many of us have memories of nights out with friends. I can’t wait to see the benefits of this funding in action.”

The announcement follows a recent funding initiative inviting UK artists to apply for part of a £125,000 support package aimed at addressing the rising costs of touring. Between July 2024 and July 2025, 30 grassroots venues permanently shut their doors, while over half of those still operating reported no profits and more than 6,000 jobs disappeared during 2025.

The UKAT fund, which has now closed for applications, was organised by the Featured Artist Coalition (FAC) together with the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Musicians’ Union (MU). The first round distributed £125,000 raised through LIVE Trust donations, funded by voluntary ticket contributions from artists including Sam Fender, Harry Styles, Radiohead, Lily Allen, Enter Shikari, Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, Biffy Clyro, Ed Sheeran, Take That, The Cure, Kojey Radical, Foo Fighters and others.

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In January, Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray encouraged more large venues, performers and promoters to take part in the initiative, saying: “We now want to see more major players in the music industry step up and back the voluntary ticket levy. I urge all major venues, artists and promoters to adopt the levy on stadium and arena concerts, with £1 from every ticket sold going directly to support the industry at the grassroots.”

Last December, figures from the UK music industry warned the government through an open letter that rising business rates could result in “hundreds of grassroots venues will close and arena gig ticket prices will increase”.

More recently, the Music Venue Trust partnered with The National Lottery to organise what they described as “the UK’s biggest festival on your doorstep,” called ‘Everywhere At Once’. The event will launch during the weekend that would normally host Glastonbury, which is taking a break in 2026, and will instead take place across grassroots venues nationwide.