Music venues in England can sell alcohol at ticketed shows from December 2nd

Virgin Radio

1 Dec 2020, 14:25

Good news for music fans who are sorely missing a pint and a gig!

New government guidance announced yesterday (Monday, November 30th) confirmed grassroots music venues in England will be allowed to sell alcohol at ticketed live shows from Wednesday, December 2nd.

The Music Venue Trust has been campaigning for more support for venues across the UK after the music industry was badly hit by the closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Originally, plans for England after Dec 2nd included a ban on selling alcohol, a measure that Music Venue Trust warned would hurt venues as a lot of their income comes from bar sales.

The restrictions meant alcohol could only be served as part of a ‘substantial’ meal, but Music Venue Trust found that 92% of grassroots music venues aren't able to serve these.

The new decision treats the purchase of a ticket the same as the purchasing of a meal.

Mark Dayvd, CEO of Music Venue Trust said, “Music Venue Trust alongside Live Music Industry Venues and Entertainment Group (LIVE) has worked hard with the government to make the case that the consumption of culture and the consumption of food should be treated equally."

"If music be the food of love play on! We are delighted that we have been listened to and that guidance has been issued that makes it clear that ticketed events at grassroots music venues can go ahead in Tier 2 with alcohol on sale" he continued.

"It makes a direct difference to the number of shows that can be delivered and is a significant step forward in the campaign to Revive Live Music and Reopen Every Venue Safely" says Mark. 

Phil Bowdery, Chair of The Concert Promoters Association added, “LIVE is delighted that the Government has listened to our calls to allow alcohol to be sold at live music venues under the new Tier 2 restrictions."

He explained: "This announcement is hugely important for our industry as stopping the sale of alcohol was going to mean that even if venues were technically able to open under Tier 2, they wouldn’t have been able to financially."

"There's still a long way to go for the live music industry to recover, and the new situation is extremely challenging for those in Tier 3, but we're grateful to all those involved, in the industry and in Government, for securing this sensible step" he added.