Ticketing giant Ticketmaster is launching a charity upsell option to support Music Venues Trust (MVT).
For one month starting 17 October, to coincide with MVT’s annual Venues Day, anyone buying a ticket on Ticketmaster will be given the option to donate directly to the music charity.
Ticketmaster has agreed to run the initiative annually and is pledging to match all donations received.
MVT CEO Mark Davyd told IQ the upsell will provide a practical method for fans to support grassroots music venues.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Ticketmaster team for putting it in place,” he added.
“Ticketmaster matching all fan donations is a powerful message for the whole industry about the support our sector needs and the will of the music community to provide it.”
This year, MVT’s Venues Day will be marked with an event at London’s The Fireworks Factory, inviting delegates from across the UK’s grassroots music venue sector to workshops, discussions and presentations.
The event offers support to people running grassroots venues and connects them with services that can help them.
Last week, MVT announced the first acquisition under its Own Our Venues scheme, aiming to safeguard the future of grassroots music venues through a community ownership initiative.