This rise in non-attendance comes amidst concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd called on the U.K. government to help, saying “Decisive and immediate action is needed to address this situation. That action must include the immediate cancellation of the VAT rise and the suspension of business rates.”

VAT, or value added tax, is a tax paid on goods and services in the U.K., while business rates are taxes paid on non-domestic property. To help struggling venues, VAT rates on tickets were reduced to 5% back in July of 2020.

Professionals attribute the decline in attendance to the U.K. government enacting “plan B” measures for dealing with the pandemic. Among those measures are mask mandates for most indoor spaces, guidance to work from home, and a requirement of NHS-issues COVID-19 passes for entry into nightclubs.

The announcement of these new restrictions came Wednesday, December 8th. They will be reviewed again in early January according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

As of December 14th, there have been 59,077 new COVID-19 cases reported with a seven-day average of 53,172 cases. 76.3% of UK citizens have at least one vaccine shot while 69.9% are fully vaccinated.

In the new plan shared by The Guardian, there are three tiers ranging from medium to very high alert that will be assigned to different regions. The first tier is more permissive while the third tier imposes tighter restrictions.

In tiers one and two, venues will be allowed to host both indoor and outdoor events but capacity will be limited and social distancing must be practiced. While the Music Venue Trust is grateful that venues will be able to bring music to their communities once again, they state that the tiered system’s policy on alcohol sales is problematic. The system states that alcohol sales will only be permitted if they are served with “a substantial meal.”

In a statement shared on the charity’s website, they explain how an overwhelming majority of venues will not survive without alcohol sales considering the percentage of revenue it brings in. Some have also brought to light the fact that not every venue is equipped with a kitchen and that the system doesn’t acknowledge that many concertgoers would not consume a full meal at a show even if it was readily available.

“[Music Venue Trust] has repeatedly detailed to HM Government that income within the grassroots sector derives 65% from wet sales and 35% from ticket sales,” reads a passage of the statement. “It is not possible to deliver an economically viable event in this sector without the financial support provided by alcohol sales. 92% of grassroots music venues do not have the necessary facilities to provide substantial food.”

They go on to question why the same patrons who are allowed to drink to their heart’s content at a restaurant would be barred from consuming alcohol at an event afterward. The statement closes out by dubbing the alcohol policy an “inconsistent and illogical approach,” calling on the government to reconsider their system.

Included on the list are London venues The Waiting Room and Egg London, Boom Leeds, The Venue in Derby, and Venue38 in Ayr, Scotland. “We’ve checked all the available funding, financial support, furlough schemes, business support for these venues, and what is on offer is not enough to prevent them being lost,” reads campaign verbiage. “These 30 venues are on the Critical List and need your help.”

The news arrives after a #LetUsDance petition amassed 145,000 signatures, resulting in a Monday debate in U.K. parliament on whether to expand on government nightlife aid. Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Night Time Economy Advisor Sacha Lord has promised to take legal action against U.K. lawmakers if Greater Manchester bars and clubs will be subject to “tier three” COVID-19 restrictions after the nationwide lockdown ends in early December.

Thus far, Music Venue Trust’s #SaveOurVenues Red List has raised nearly £80,000. Donate to one of the 30 clubs or to the MVT #SaveOurVenues national fund distributed amongst them via Crowdfunder.

Image credit: Josh Gordon