The NTIA warned warned the decision risks accelerating closures across an already shrinking sector.
The move comes despite ministers confirming last month that grassroots live music venues valued as pubs would receive relief, with Exchequer Secretary Dan Tomlinson stating it would be wrong to “draw the line so tightly as to include some and not others.”
Electronic music led, DJ focused and recorded music spaces do not meet the eligibility criteria and remain outside the scheme.
Music venues overlooked
The announcement has fuelled anger among operators who say contemporary music led spaces are repeatedly overlooked in national policy.
According to the NTIA, the UK has lost more than a third of its nightclubs since 2017, yet remaining venues now face higher overall business rates despite their falling number.
VOA data shows rateable values for nightclubs have risen from £35,725 to £56,000 on average over the period, with the total rateable value for the category increasing despite a 32% drop in sites.
NTIA chief executive Michael Kill said excluding electronic and recorded music venues from relief schemes left the sector carrying an ever-larger share of the burden.
“These spaces are not optional extras, they are talent incubators that underpin one of the UK’s most successful cultural exports,” he said. “We have already lost over a third of the UK’s nightclubs, yet those that remain are facing higher business rates and no access to relief. This is not targeted support. It actively accelerates decline.”
Kill criticised what he described as a “patchwork approach” to business rates, arguing that recorded music venues were also excluded from support during the Cultural Recovery Fund, and that similar policy blind spots had now re-emerged.
Alcohol duty
Alongside the rates issue, the NTIA also warned that yesterday’s alcohol duty rise (1 February) will add further pressure to late-night businesses, with suppliers indicating more price increases are likely.
“With alcohol duty rising in line with inflation and supplier costs continuing to increase, many businesses have little choice but to pass these costs on to consumers despite already fragile trading conditions,” Kill said.
“Selective support is simply not enough. Without a comprehensive, sector-wide approach, rising tax and regulatory costs will lead to higher prices, reduced spending and more closures.”
The NTIA reiterated calls for a more consistent system of relief for late-night operators, alongside recognition of electronic music venues as core cultural infrastructure rather than fringe activities.
