Music industry leaders have rallied against a proposed hike to the rate of VAT on ticket sales, just as many are beginning to look ahead with hope.

Music venues, bands, record labels, and fans from Brighton to Bangor have spoken out against a proposed 15 percent increase to the rate of VAT on ticket sales.

The rate of VAT on ticket sales was cut to 5 percent at the start of lockdown as a way to get more real cash into the struggling sector.

However, an uncertain future and the lack of consumer and industry confidence this has bred, has meant a paucity of event confirmations, and in turn ticket punches, meaning the cash value benefit of the cut has hardly been felt.

Now, with its original 12 month period coming to a close, it appears that The Treasury will be raising the rate back up to 20 percent, just at a time when artists, venues and bookers are beginning to look forward with more certainty.

The #KeepVATat5 campaign has risen from this desolate ground, and is being backed by a host of major artists, venues, festivals and promoters, including: Komedia, Concorde 2, The Music Venues Trust and Boomtown.

Organised by Live Music Industry, Venues and Entertainment (LIVE) the campaign is imploring followers to email their MP, tweet the hashtag #KeepVATat5 and share the word.

At a time when the music industry should be looking to recoup the huge losses incurred in the last 12 months, a rise in VAT would be catastrophic – especially given the seemingly generous original offer did the sum of piss all to help.