Politicians in Scotland are calling on a ticket tax for major venues in the country to help struggling grassroots music establishments. With tens of thousands of people flocking to Edinburgh this weekend for international pop star Taylor Swift’s three-night run of concerts, it is being suggested that a tax on tickets to ‘mega gigs’ could help out Scotland’s wider music industry. The Scottish Green Party has suggested the growing number of grassroots music venues in Scotland closing down proves the need for a stadium ticket tax to be imposed on gigs such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in the capital this weekend.
The American musician will be playing Murrayfield tonight, Saturday and Sunday, with an estimated crowd of over 67,000 attending each night of the sold out event. READ MORE: Why does every act think they can fill up the Glasgow Hydro? David Duguid denies 'ill-health' claim in Douglas Ross replacement row The Scottish Greens say this could have ‘easily’ raised around £200,000 for local venues. They’ve cited figures by campaigners the Music Venue Trust, which show that the number of spaces closing each year has increased from one in 2021 and five in 2022 to 14 in 2023.
The Music Venue Trust research says a £1 levy from every ticket sale at gigs in Scotland’s two largest stadiums would generate £1 million per year. Scottish Greens culture spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP, has championed the calls for a £1 ticket levy on all ticket stubs at Scotland.