What a phenomenal week.
Seven days. 236 independent venues. Villages, towns, and cities right across the country. Tens of thousands of music fans coming together to celebrate live music where it truly lives.
Across the week, new artists have been discovered, new venues explored, new music experienced, new connections formed, and unforgettable memories made in these magical spaces.
This year felt different.
More than anything, Independent Venue Week felt like a shared celebration and something people truly rallied behind. From our brilliant ambassadors, Nova Twins, championing authentic independent venues during their electric set at the Amersham Arms in South London, and across ITV News, The Evening Standard, Music Week and beyond, to powerful support from our Scottish and Welsh ambassadors Brógeal and Eve Goodman, who spoke to press and played independent venues in their respective nations. Their message was loud and clear, that independent venues matter.
We are, as always, incredibly grateful to our broadcast partner BBC 6 Music, who once again brought the stories of Independent Venue Week to life, shining a light on venues, artists, promoters and fans across the country. Their outside broadcast from Strings in Newport on the Isle of Wight on the opening day of #IVW26 saw Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens share stories from the island, followed by a live set from local heroes Coach Party. Huge thanks to Sam, Antonia, Gary, Phil, Sara, Molly, Elisabetta, Camila, Lucy, and of course Steve and Huw, and to James and Andy at Strings for hosting us all.
Across the BBC, local radio and online news outlets also amplified stories from their local scenes, connecting communities through music and encouraging people to head out, meet friends, and support local venues. And, for the very first time, Independent Venue Week was the top story on BBC One’s The One Show, visiting The Black Prince in Northampton and highlighting the truly national reach of the project.
Support like this from our national broadcaster makes a huge difference and we’re incredibly thankful for their continued commitment to our venue community.
IVW simply wouldn’t happen without the support of our partners; a huge thank you to Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, and BBC Introducing for your ongoing support.
Once again, Beavertown partnered with seven venues around the country, helping create seven unforgettable nights of live music, while also providing rider stock, including their alcohol-free lager, to every venue taking part. We’re proud to work with partners whose values align so closely with ours and with those of our venues.
We were excitedto partner again with PPL, who hosted a fantastic and insightful event at Paper Dress Vintage with Walt Disco ahead of their gig, welcoming an audience eager to learn more about breaking into the industry. Our first-year partnership with PRS Foundation also saw shows take place across the country, with five Early Career Promoter Fund recipients showcasing artists and gaining vital experience as part of the week.
Now the biggest thank you of all.
To every artist who played. Every tour manager who got them there. Every sound engineer who made them sound incredible. Every cleaner who reset the space for the next night. Every promoter, bar staff member, office admin, door staff member, agent and manager. To every gig-goer who bought a ticket, travelled locally, danced at the front, bought merch, came early for the support bands and made the venues buzz, this week was for you and because of you.
AND, to every single venue that hauled equipment, built stages, hosted artists and opened their doors night after night, thank you for being part of the Independent Venue Week family.
We are also deeply grateful to our incredible network of reps across the country. Tor, Martin, Vicki, Hannah, Olive, Claire H, Jenni, Claire M, Adrian, Poppy, and Kris, who are our eyes and ears on the ground and help us reach and support communities in the best possible way.
Thank you too to our volunteers, who supported venues on the ground throughout the week and spoke with gig goers across the country, helping us better understand what makes live music tick. Your contribution means the world and allows us to deliver this celebration year after year.
A special thanks to our comms team, Adam and Kitty, who brought IVW to life across press and socials at an incredible scale, and Liv, who keeps everything running so smoothly behind the scenes. Your work ensures IVW’s impact is felt nationally while staying rooted locally.
Independent Venue Week is never about us or even about IVW itself.
It is, and will always be, about the venues, the artists, the crews, the agents, the promoters, and the gig goers. That is the story. That is the reason to be out there, supporting live music so passionately.
This is just one week of the year, but these venues deserve our support EVERY week of the year. They are the lifeblood of their communities, the beating hearts, nurturing talent, creating opportunities, and shaping the future of music, on and off stages.
There is extraordinary talent all across this country; independent venues are where it is found, grown, and given a home.
Thank you for supporting IVW so together we can continue supporting independent venues now and into the future.
Sybil and the Independent Venue Week team.