New Live DMA report explores how to keep European music venues thriving

Small and mid-sized music venues are vital to Europe’s cultural scene, offering space for artists and communities to connect. But external factors and global crises, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and global political instability, are threatening their survival.  

The Live DMA report "Live Music Challenges in European Cities"  highlights the key challenges based on insights from 16 venues and stakeholders across Europe and discusses possible solutions for the future. Liveurope was also consulted for this report and was highlighted as a good practice. 

Key challenges identified in the report 

Gentrification, fuelled by real estate speculation and Airbnb tourism is making it harder for smaller music venues across Europe to survive. Rising rental costs may push them outside of the city centre, while lower ticket sales and higher operational costs linked to inflation add to the struggle. On top of that, new residential development can lead to noise complaints, forcing venues to increasingly invest resources in mediation efforts.  

What the report finds at the centre of the interlinked challenges of gentrification, noise complaints, and real estate speculation is a severe lack of political vision and support. Policymakers continue to overlook the needs of smaller venues, through poor urban planning and austerity policies. 

In the last years, these challenges have become more visible through a shift in audience behaviour. While many venues are still feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, audience habits are changing with fewer people attending concerts, preferring streaming and digital entertainment. Inflation has also had a strong impact on workers’ behaviour. Venues struggle to hire and retain staff, as they cannot meet demands for fair wages. This causes venues to be understaffed, and often rely on the work of volunteers. 

Why this matters for artists 

Music venues play a key role in the artists’ careers. They are essential for growing the next generation of European talent and support the livelihood of emerging European artists. When music venues struggle to survive, so do artists. While music venues across Europe have shown resilience, the pressure of gentrification and rising costs has led to difficult decisions—such as the closure of our Tallinn member Sveta in 2023. But when venues are supported and protected, artists and their communities are thriving.  

Potential solutions and recommendations 

So, what can be done? The report highlights successful strategies from cities that actively support live music venues. One key approach is the Agent of Change principle, which shifts responsibility to local governments in urban planning and can prevent neighbourhood conflicts. Stronger political support—both locally and at higher levels—is crucial, with tax breaks and subsidies helping ease financial pressure on small and mid-sized venues. 

Venues can also benefit from community-driven fundraising, industry collaborations, and re-distributive measures like ticket levies on large-scale events to support smaller spaces. Innovation is key too—embracing sustainability, adopting eco-friendly practices, and trying out new event formats can help venues stay relevant and resilient.

The report also highlighted Liveurope as a good practice in the live music sector, for our efforts to support music venues in taking programming risks while giving a stage to the next generation of European artists.