26 fleurets.com Live & let live Leisure Kevin Conibear Head of Urban Markets In 2017, music contributed £4.5bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK, up 8% over two years, according to UK Music’s Measuring Music 2018 Report. Live music increased 14% in 2016 to make up almost £1bn of that figure and 30.9 million people attended live music events across the UK, a 12% increase on the previous year. The live industry supported 28,659 jobs in 2018. Deloitte reported that live performances such as concerts and theatre generated £2.1bn in 2017, with concert- going accounting for more than 50% and forecast 7% growth in 2018. These headlines are positive, but there are some underlying challenges affecting operators, especially smaller venues that are the breeding grounds for emerging talent. Despite being in an age of TV talent shows and social media catapulting unknown artists to stardom, the majority of acts start from nowhere, performing in small independent venues, honing their talents, before hitting the mainstream. The likes of Coldplay and in 2016 14% increase