Independent Venue Week launches today (January 27) with hundreds of venues taking part in the annual event.
Since its first events in 2014, more than one million tickets have been sold for IVW shows.
The seven-day celebration (January 27 to February ) of independent music and arts venues has 214 UK venues signed up, ranging from the 14-capacity room at The Grayston Unity, in Halifax, to the 3,100-capacity Troxy in East London.
The aim of IVW is to celebrate the independent venue community, encouraging fans to show their support by buying a ticket and seeing a show in the quiet winter period.
Among this year’s highlights are five days of programming on BBC Radio 6 Music, a special independent venue tour by Gilles Peterson, and exclusive IVW shows from IVW Artist Ambassadors YolanDa Brown OBE DL, Gwenno and Redolent in London, Cardiff and Dundee
Four newly-opened venues will take part in IVW for the first time: YolanDa Brown’s Soul Mama in Stratford, London; LVLS in Hackney; Kola in Portsmouth and The Rat & Pigeon in Manchester.
Another three venues celebrate major anniversaries in 2025: London’s Strongroom Bar (40 years); Bedford Esquires (35 years); The Castle in Luton (15 years)
BBC Radio 6 Music will celebrate IVW with a week of broadcast coverage on the ‘State Of Independent Venues’, including shows with Big Special at the Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (January 27) and Lapsley and Gilles Peterson at Margate Arts Club (January 31).
BBC Introducing will host special evening events at Colchester’s Three Wise Monkeys (January 30), The Georgian Theatre, Stockton (February 1) and The Grand in Clitheroe (February 1)
IVW partners Beavertown are promoting a series of seven shows throughout the week, at The Louisiana, Bristol (Lice); Night & Day Cafe, Manchester (Opus Kink); The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham (Prima Queen); The Jacaranda, Liverpool (Brògeal); Dingwalls, London (The Molotovs); Stereo, Glasgow (Toya Delazy and James Massiah); plus a yet-to-be announced show in Leeds
IVW partners PPL will host a Q&A with Big Special at Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds (January 28).
Artists taking part in IVW 2025 include Ego Ella May, Loose Articles, Divorce, Cucumaras, Heartworms, Ibibio Sound Machine, Jacob Alon, Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand, Blue Bendy, Heavy Lungs, Caoilfhionn Rose, OneDa, Lake Street Drive, The Magic Numbers, Rhoda Dakar, The Cactus Blossoms, Elucid, Sam Amidon, The Bug Club, Ryley Walker, Kublai Khan TX, Dirty Blonde, Lizzie Esau, Red Method, Martyn Joseph, Dodgy, Utah Saints, and many more.
A full list of IVW shows and venues can be found here.
Sybil Bell, CEO and founder of Independent Venue Week, said: “This is now our 12th year of running Independent Venue Week, and I can’t remember a more dynamic line-up of shows across every conceivable genre. There’s been a lot of headlines recently about the lack of UK artists in the mainstream charts, but these 214 venues are showing the true depth and diversity of our music culture. All of them are absolute heroes.”
“If we want these special spaces to thrive, then our message to fans is very simple: tell your mates, grab some tickets, support your local scene and come out and see a show. It could just be the best night of your life.”
IVW ambassador and venue owner YolanDa Brown OBE DL will perform at her recently opened venue Soul Mama in Stratford, London (February 1). Here, the musician, broadcaster and BPI chair shares her perspective on the grassroots sector...
Why did you want to get involved in this year’s edition of Independent Venue Week?
“It’s a really great opportunity to be amongst other grassroots venues that are reaching out into the community. I’ve known about it for many years, and it’s important to have that focal point on amazing grassroots venues, and also to have these gigs to show what’s on offer.”
Do you think it’s quite refreshing that, as ambassador, you’re a jazz/soul saxophonist?
“Yes, I was speaking to the founder, Sybil Bell, and she was saying exactly the same thing. So many different genres of music happen in grassroots venues. For me with Soul Mama, I wanted to make sure that it was a place people could just come and have a great experience.”
What can you tell us about your IVW performance featuring Bob Marley’s songbook?
“This will be a new project. I have covered Bob Marley before, I played Is This Love at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Service [2023], but this gig will be the Bob Markey songbook, which I've wanted to do for many years. I love the music, and it still stands so true today, so relevant. To be able to perform some rearrangements with my band will be really exciting. So it’s been a long time coming, but I'm looking forward to this one.”
What’s your experience of launching a brand new venue and restaurant been like so far?
“It’s been great. We’re two months in, we have a lovely, dedicated team, and it’s just been really nice to get the feedback from the audience. Number one, they love the food! They’ve loved the different acts that we’ve had on the stage, so we’re stretching what these venues can do. We were recently part of the London Jazz Festival. People have enjoyed the whole experience.”
As a jazz musician, how do you feel the genre is performing commercially right now?
“It’s doing amazingly well. There was a time when you’d only hear jazz in these small supper clubs like Soul Mama. Now you’re hearing these amazing artists like Ezra Collective playing in arenas and just really taking the genre far and wide, keeping it alive and evolving it. It’s exciting that London and the UK have been at the forefront of this new wave of jazz.”
It’s a really great opportunity to be amongst other grassroots venues that are reaching out into the community
YolanDa Brown
Are you aiming to support emerging talent?
“It’s both sides of the coin. We want it to be a world-class venue where artists want to play. That’s always been a major passion of mine, from the rising stars in the industry to returning legends. Artists really do need support from venues. It’s not easy to make a living from touring; we want to support them and make it a great experience, make sure they’ve got great sound and that they’re looked after.”
At a time when there’s concern about the future of grassroots venues, why did you want to launch Soul Mama in 2024?
“I’m coming at it from an artist perspective. I’ve played these types of venues all around the world, and I saw the amazing experience that the audience was having. I could see people wanted to not have to go to dinner and rush to a show, but just have a full 360 experience. I could just see the opportunity. So as hard as it is at this time, the audience needs somewhere to go.”
It’s a big step launching a venue, do you think it helps you having an artist background?
“I’d like to think so, having experienced some things that I think could be strengthened and other things that we’ve learned from other venues. The sound, for example. We’re a 100-capacity venue, but it was really important for me that the sound on stage and the sound in the venue is top-notch. It really makes the difference for me and for the artists as well. Just because it’s a smaller venue doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have high-quality sound.”
What do you think of the government-backed proposal for a £1 ticket levy on arena and stadium shows to support grassroots venues?
“I’ve seen artists backing it, and venues as well. It would be interesting to see how it works. I see the industry as an ecosystem, so if there is a way that it can have a knock-on effect for grassroots venues, and mean concert-goers feeling that they’re being a part of that, then I’m all for it.”
How have the Budget changes affected you?
“I’m always looking at the end game – the audience, the artist. Changes in the Budget, legislation and policy, they always do affect how we operate. But having that passion and drive to want to provide this great music experience with people trumps anything that happens there.”
Finally, what are the plans for Soul Mama?
“We want to expand and make sure we share this around the country. For me, it’s to make Soul Mama a touring platform for artists. People will know what to expect around the country with the production and food, having been to our place in London. There are big plans.”
Official supporters of IVW25 include Arts Council England, Beavertown, PPL, Rockbox and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
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