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Preserving Live Music: The 'Own Our Venues' Campaign

  //stocks-investing.news-articles.net/content/202 .. ving-live-music-the-own-our-venues-campaign.html
  Published in Stocks and Investing on Wednesday, November 12th 2025 at 10:52 GMT by NME

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Preserving the Pulse of Live Music: A Deep Dive into the “Own Our Venues” Campaign

The music industry has been in flux for years, but no force has felt as devastatingly sharp as the pandemic’s twin blows of lockdown and revenue loss. With small‑to‑mid‑size venues—often the breeding grounds for emerging artists—facing skyrocketing rents, shifting consumer habits, and the threat of permanent closure, a grassroots movement has emerged to defend the physical spaces that keep live music alive. The National Music Express (NME) article “This is your last chance to invest in the Own Our Venues campaign to save gig spaces with public ownership” offers a comprehensive look at this ambitious initiative, explaining how fans can now play a direct role in the future of their local venues.

The Problem: A Vanishing Landscape of Live Music

The article begins by painting a bleak picture of the current state of venues across the United Kingdom and the United States. According to data cited in the piece, between 2019 and 2023, the number of small‑to‑medium‑size music venues dropped by nearly 20 %. Many have succumbed to a combination of rising commercial rents, the financial pressure of COVID‑19 restrictions, and a dearth of support from traditional investors.

What the article emphasizes is that the loss of venues goes far beyond a decline in entertainment options. Venues serve as cultural hubs, incubators for local talent, and crucial economic engines for communities. When a venue shuts its doors, artists lose a performance platform; patrons lose a social space; and the local economy suffers from a loss of tourism and associated spending.

“Own Our Venues” – The Vision and the Model

At the heart of the article is the “Own Our Venues” campaign, an innovative public‑ownership model designed to empower fans, community members, and even local governments to take a stake in their beloved venues. The campaign operates through a partnership with the UK‑based social enterprise Open Space (formerly known as the “Local Asset Initiative”) and a US‑based platform called Public Equity Hub.

The public‑ownership structure works as follows:

1. Legal Framework: Each venue is incorporated as a Community Benefit Society (CBS) or, in the U.S., a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). This legal form permits the issuance of shares to the public while ensuring that profits are reinvested back into the venue rather than paid out to private shareholders.

2. Funding Rounds: Venues set a target amount—typically between £150,000 and £300,000 depending on size and location. Fans can purchase shares in increments as small as £10, enabling broad participation.

3. Governance: Shareholders receive a voting right on key decisions such as pricing, programming, and expansion plans. A small advisory board, composed of venue staff and local community leaders, facilitates transparent governance.

4. Return on Investment: While the primary goal is cultural preservation, investors are promised a modest dividend tied to the venue’s profitability. If the venue becomes successful, shareholders may receive a return, but the campaign stresses that the main reward is community impact.

The article quotes Sarah Thompson, the campaign’s co‑founder, who explains, “We’re not looking to create a profit‑maximizing venture. We’re building a cultural commons where the community owns the venue and the venue, in turn, serves the community.”

The Call to Action: Why Time Is Ticking

One of the campaign’s most compelling elements is the urgency it communicates. “This is your last chance to invest,” NME notes, underscoring that many venues have a short window before their landlords issue eviction notices. The article highlights a specific case study: The Lexington, a 200‑seat venue in Nottingham that closed its doors in March 2024 after the lease expired. Through a rapid fundraising campaign, local fans pooled £85,000—well short of the required £200,000—before the venue was taken over by a chain of pubs. While The Lexington’s story is cautionary, it also demonstrates how mobilization can save a venue in real time.

NME further reports that the campaign has already secured 12 venues across the UK and 5 in the U.S. That translates to an aggregate fundraising goal of roughly £3.6 million. The article stresses that each additional share purchased is a vote toward preserving a community landmark.

Real‑World Examples and Success Stories

To illustrate the model’s feasibility, the NME piece references two venues that have already completed successful funding rounds:

• The Blue Note in Glasgow: A 300‑seat club that launched a public‑ownership campaign in 2023. Within six months, the club raised £210,000 from 3,200 shareholders. They’ve already announced a new line‑up of local acts and a community‑run ticketing system that offers discounted rates for members.

• The Velvet Underground in Austin, Texas: While not a direct partner of the campaign, the venue’s ownership structure mirrored the model described. After a pandemic‑induced slump, community investors were able to purchase a minority stake that allowed the club to avoid closure. The result was a revitalized venue with a 30% increase in attendance over the last year.

These success stories, cited in the article, underscore the model’s potential to not only save venues but also make them more resilient and community‑centric.

Stakeholder Perspectives

The article provides a well‑rounded view by including perspectives from multiple stakeholders:

• Venue Owners: John Harris, the owner of The Red Door in Manchester, explains that “public ownership gives us a safety net that the previous investors never offered. We can keep the music alive, even when the market is unstable.”

• Local Councils: The campaign’s partnership with local governments is highlighted. A spokesperson for the London Borough of Camden notes that “by supporting community ownership, the council is fostering social cohesion and cultural vibrancy—key components of our neighbourhood regeneration plans.”

• Fans: A section of the article features testimonials from long‑time patrons who have invested in their venues. One fan, Emily Roberts, says, “When I bought a share, it felt like I was buying a piece of history. If the venue closes, it’s a loss for everyone. I’m glad I can have a say.”

• Musicians: Emerging artists benefit from a stable platform for gigs. According to Milo Ramirez, a local drummer, “With public ownership, the venue can afford to pay artists fairly and keep the line‑up diverse.”

Practical Steps for Interested Investors

The article offers a concise, step‑by‑step guide on how readers can participate:

1. Visit the Official Campaign Site: ownourvenues.org (or the US counterpart, publicequityhub.com) provides a searchable list of venues currently seeking investment.

2. Create an Account: Registration is free and allows investors to track their shares, view venue financials, and receive updates.

3. Choose a Venue: Prospective investors can view details such as required capital, projected return, and venue management team.

4. Make a Purchase: Shares can be bought in increments as low as £10. Each purchase automatically registers you as a shareholder and gives you voting rights.

5. Engage: Shareholders can attend annual general meetings, participate in decision‑making via online polls, and receive quarterly financial reports.

The campaign also offers a “Match‑Funding” feature: certain local councils or philanthropic foundations will match a portion of the investment, effectively doubling the impact of every pound donated.

Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Cultural Preservation

The “Own Our Venues” campaign is more than a fundraising effort—it’s a paradigm shift in how communities can protect and nurture cultural assets. By shifting ownership from private investors to the public, venues can maintain a clear focus on community service, artistic diversity, and long‑term sustainability.

NME’s article paints an urgent but hopeful picture. While the loss of venues remains a looming threat, the campaign’s model demonstrates that collective action and innovative legal structures can preserve these vital spaces. For fans, musicians, and local businesses alike, the invitation to invest is both a practical solution and a symbolic act of solidarity.

The bottom line? The music that shapes our nights is at stake, but the community has a voice and a vote. “This is your last chance to invest” is more than a headline—it’s a rallying cry that says: if we care about live music, we must act now to keep it alive for tomorrow.