Music Venue Trust and National Lottery announce partnership to revive grassroots live music

The National Lottery will contribute £1 million to touring and production costs of over 300 live performances this summer as part of The National Lottery's Revive Live Tour, which will help boost the revival of the grassroots live music industry that Music Venue Trust has campaigned to save throughout the pandemic.

Sir Tom Jones, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Mahalia, Sam Fender and Fontaines DC and more will perform one-off shows at grassroots music venues in the UK as part of the partnership, which also celebrates the return of live music.

The Magic Gang, Olivia Dean, The Futureheads, Do Nothing, Twin Atlantic and more will also be involved in the Revive Live Tour, which will see them perform at hundreds of grassroots music venues throughout the summer.

@musicvenuetrust x @TNLUK = The National Lottery Revive Live Tour

Feat @realsirtomjones @mahalia @jamesarthur23 @ragnboneman @samfendermusic @fontainesdublin @frankturner & more.

For more info:https://t.co/JAVXgOQLW9

Tix on sale 12 July @ 8PM#ComeTogether to #ReviveLive pic.twitter.com/0zBnspP0Da

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) July 7, 2021

Sir Tom Jones said: "Musicians can record in their bedrooms, but they can’t learn to perform in public without a place to play. Without that, there is no way you can communicate directly to people. It’ll be tough to hone your skills and you’ll never have the thrill of feeling their feedback. Without a grassroots music venue, the neighbourhood won’t have a place where people can come together to discover and support a new talent."

He added, "So support your local pub, club, gym or church or wherever someone has the guts to bring in some entertainment, it makes all the difference both to budding artists and the community. I’m delighted to be able to perform a special show as part of The National Lottery’s Revive Live Tour and to be celebrating the return of live music."

Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd said, "It's so important to get artists and crew back out and working, to get our grassroots music venues back up and running, and to get friends, families and communities back together enjoying live music."

He continued, "Grassroots music venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. These venues also play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any village, town or city. The National Lottery Revive Live Tour is a fantastic initiative which will kickstart the return of great events across the country. We can't wait to get started!"