Festival designed to support grassroots venues
It’s set to be the biggest music festival in the country, powered by more than 400 grassroots venues and 2,000 artists all on the same weekend. Everywhere At Once, supported by the National Lottery and delivered Music Venue Trust with Save Our Scene and the Association of Independent Promoters, takes place nationwide from tomorrow to Sunday.
Gigs are happening across Yorkshire, highlighting the vital role grassroots venues play in developing the next generation of British music, and details of bands and locations can be found at the event’s website. In this region, they include Tradwife at the Washington in Sheffield on Saturday and Punk 4 the Homeless at Bradford’s 1in12 Club on the same day.
Artists performing around the country, however, include Fatboy Slim, Becky Hill, Rizzle Kicks, Tinie Tempah, Glenn Tilbrook, The Lathums, The Divine Comedy and Inspiral Carpets
Fatboy Slim said: “I’ve been lucky enough to play huge stages all over the world, but grassroots venues are where it all started for me and where music scenes really begin, where artists learn their craft, where communities form, and where people come together purely for the love of it. Without grassroots venues, independent promoters and local crowds taking a chance on something new, none of this exists. These spaces are vital for culture and for local communities, so if there’s anything I can do to help shine a light on them and help keep that spirit alive, I’m more than happy to be involved. And if you care about music, go out and support your local venues, buy a ticket, discover somebody new, and be part of keeping those scenes alive.”
MVT figures show that grassroots music venues (GMVs) contribute more than £550 million annually to the UK economy while the average ticket price is £11.56. However, it says that the sector remains “structurally fragile”, with venues operating on average profit margins of just 2.5 per cent as more than half (53 per cent) of the UK’s GMVs showed no profit at all in 2025. Over the past year alone, 30 such venues permanently closed
The trust says that 175 UK towns and cities no longer receive regular touring shows by professional artists. Its Emergency Response Service handled a record number of emergency cases in 2025 with the largest category involved being financial distress, followed by licensing disputes and planning/development pressures.
In 2021, the National Lottery and MVT cemented their partnership with the National Lottery’s Revive Live Tour, which helped venues re-open and rebuild following the impact of the Covid pandemic.
National Lottery players are some of the biggest backers of grassroots music – more than £1billion has gone to support music across the country. Audiences will also be given the opportunity to support a range of music charities, with donations supporting War Child, Nordoff and Robbins, Help Musicians and Teenage Cancer Trust.
Search for local gigs at everywherefest.com/find-an-event