Sub Focus to donate £1 per ticket from UK arena dates to The LIVE Trust and Save Our Scene

The useful part

Sub Focus to donate £1 for every ticket of UK tour to The LIVE Trust and grassroots levy Sub Focus. The ticket levy that could save grassroots venues and artists: what happens next? Advertisement The production also made him the first drum and bass artist to headline Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and earlier this month he confirmed his biggest headline shows to date.

How it works

• This will be the first time the show has been brought to arenas, and will feature personally-curated widescreen visuals and production at both dates.
• WATCH Now, Sub Focus – real name Nicolaas Douwe Douwma – has confirmed that he will be pledging £1 per ticket sale to help support grassroots venues.
• The model – already in use in several countries across Europe, similar to the one seen in the Premier League of football – was given the government's backing back in 2024, but criticism still surrounds how...
• Already, there have been findings that the grassroots sector subsidised live music by £76.6million in 2025, while recent larger shows at arena and stadium level saw UK live music contribute a...
• Last year's MVT report showed that the UK was losing one music venue every fortnight and, while 2025 saw the rate of venue decline slow to its lowest point since 2018, urgent action is still needed,...

What to take from it

"They are an incubator for new talent and have played a massive part in the careers of most musicians I know." He continued: "Now I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to help support the grassroots venues I came up with, by drawing attention to initiatives like this. Both new dates take place in the UK next spring, and include a stop at The O2 in London on Friday March 26 and at Manchester's Co-Op Live on Saturday March 27. View this post on Instagram "It's never been more important to support small venues," he shared.

Example or evidence

• Last year, London's Royal Albert Hall became the first 5,000+ capacity venue to commit to the £1 ticket levy too, a decision that will raise an estimated £300,000 per year for the LIVE Trust.
• Since it launched in 2020, SOS has teamed up with Music Venue Trust to develop the Lifeline Fund, which aims to ease the financial pressure on local venues.
• Those figures come as the UK has lost 11,000 venues since 2019 – roughly four-to-five every day.
• If this rate continues, it will mean another 2,000 venues could close by 2030.

Details worth keeping

View this post on Instagram The push to give back to grassroots spaces comes at a vital time for the UK live music industry, as the loss of venues in regional areas across the UK has already caused what many think of as "the complete collapse of touring " in recent years. Advertisement The idea of a levy was given backing by the UK government in 2024, and the LIVE Trust levy was launched in January 2025 – committed to sharing the money among artists, managers and promoters, to ensure that the entire grassroots ecosystem benefits in this country. Related Topics Electronic Live Music News Sub Focus You May Also Like Trending ADÉLA – 'Prima' review: pop star's enthralling bid for a seat at the table Ray Winstone talks fronting a fictional punk band with members of Sex Pistols and The Clash in cult 1982 film Bad Bunny shook up Chuwi's world.

Related coverage

• Edmtunes: Sub Focus brings his Circular Sound show to London's The O2 and Manchester's Co-op Live in March 2027, his biggest headline shows to date.