Independent Venue Week is an annual seven day celebration of all the independent music venues around the UK.
Each year, the nationwide programme champions small independent venues and the owners who run them, highlighting how important they are to local communities.
These are the venues where artists are first discovered, and they provide a platform for those starting out, in the hope that one day they will be headlining festivals and selling out arenas.
Over the past year independent venues have struggled.
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in multiple lockdowns which have thrown the live entertainment industry into turmoil.
It was this that almost led to the closure of two of Manchester’s most popular venues, The Deaf Institute and Gorilla, who were saved after a last minuite closure deal was agreed.
These venues are known to promote up and coming bands, with acts such as The 1975 and Tame Impala having performed here before going onto achieve major success.
This shows just how important Independent Venue Week 2021 is.
Having kicked off this Monday, although virtual, the line-up is spectacular.
There are live recorded performances from over 40 artists including Manchester’s Liam Gallagher and Stockport’s Blossoms.
Tickets for this event are £15, granting access to performances on both Thursday and Friday.
The majority of proceeds are going to FareShare, a charity fighting food poverty, with the remaining amount going to Stagehand and Help Musicians, which aid arts professionals who have been struggling throughout the pandemic.
You can also catch the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as he speaks about the impact 2020 has had on grassroots venues and the future protection in place.
The Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Caroline Dineage, urged people to support this week.
She said: “2021’s event will help shine a spotlight on emerging stars and give audiences a chance to enjoy live music safely in wonderful environments.”
There are even more great events taking place up until Sunday, so let’s get supporting our local independent venues to make sure they’re still around for us to enjoy, hopefully soon.
The full schedule and information on how to get tickets can be found on the Independent Venue Week website.
