The Independent and Music Venue Trust relaunch Main Stage programme to support UK grassroots music venues

The Independent has teamed up with the Music Venue Trust to relaunch the Main Stage programme, which supports grassroots music venues across the UK. The programme, which last ran in 2024, provides each featured venue with an article in The Independent, £5,000 worth of advertising, and design assets. The first two venues featured are E Rooms in Skelmersdale and Rapture in Kirkwall, Orkney. The initiative comes as the UK's grassroots music scene faces financial challenges, with 30 venues closing and 6,000 jobs lost in one year. The programme aims to highlight the importance of these venues and help them thrive.