US EditionNew UK Festival Backed by Matt Healy Lands in Liverpool - Liverpool Echo
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 29 – The festival will feature over 2,000 free gigs in more than 1,000 venues to address the 22.4% closure rate of small UK music venues in 2023, backing grassroots music sustainability.
- Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975, is supporting the Seed Sounds Weekender, a UK-wide festival running from September 26 to 28 featuring over 2,000 gigs in more than 1,000 seed venues.
- Healy warned that the loss of seed and grassroots music venues results from political neglect and funding erosion, which threatens cultural infrastructure and artistic opportunity.
- More than 200 grassroots venues closed or stopped live music in 2023 and 2024, with average profit margins at just 0.5% and nearly 44% operating at a loss, while two venues continue closing each month.
- A parliamentary committee focused on culture, media, and sports has recommended introducing a levy on tickets for major concerts at large venues to support grassroots music spaces. While well-supported by artists and major venues, this levy currently excludes most smaller "seed" venues that serve as early platforms for emerging performers.
- Healy emphasized that local venues are foundational to culture and urged that events like Seed Sounds Weekender are essential to ensure music remains accessible beyond privileged, commercial settings.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The 1975 Singer Matt Healy is Determined to Save Small Venues
The 1975’s Matt Healy isn’t always making headlines for chill reasons, but this one I definitely have to give him respect for. The singer is advocating strongly for the preservation of small, local venues, which he says are “the foundation of any real culture.” According to NME, Healy made his stand in support of the Seed Sounds Weekender festival, a nationwide, multi-venue festival in the United Kingdown, which runs Sept. 26 – 28. The fest is d…
1975 frontman Matty Healy backs nationwide festival from Manchester live events disruptor - Prolific North
The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has issued a grim warning of the musical "silence" that would come without the pubs and bars that give UK artists their first gigs as he backs a new UK-wide festival from Manchester live event challenger GigPig.
Matty Healy warns against loss of indie venues: "They're the foundation of any real culture"
The 1975‘s Matty Healy has warned against the consequences of losing indie music venues. READ MORE: The 1975 live at Glastonbury 2025: splitting the G with big tunes but shy of controversy The singer made the remarks in support of the Seed Sounds Weekender, a nationwide, multi-venue festival that will run between from September 26 and 28 this year. It supports “seed venues”, which often support emerging artists – and early shows by household na…
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