Everywhere At Once: UK Music Venue Trust & National Lottery Launch Grassroots Festival

Artist Nadia Sheikh, Venue Omeara, Photographer Georgia Penny — Nadia Sheikh performed at London’s Omeara back in September, playing a showcase during IFF. Omeara is one of more than 500 grassroots venues taking part in Everywhere At Once this year. *Picture by Georgia Penny*

The UK’s Music Venue Trust (MVT) and The National Lottery have announced Everywhere At Once, a festival taking place inside (and outside) hundreds of grassroots music venues across the country on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend, June 26-28, 2026.

More than 500 grassroots music venues from Inverness in Scotland to Penzance in very southwest of the UK “will host hundreds of major artists, touring acts and the most exciting emerging local talent in the spaces that have launched generations of musicians,” according to the press announcement.

Audiences get treated to a diverse, curated program of live music in the intimate rooms that are the heartbeat of their neighbourhoods.

The UK’s National Lottery has been supporting the grassroots music scene since 2021, when it helped kickstart live music following the lockdowns. Programs like
Revive Live and United by Music established groundbreaking interventions into the live music sector, delivering hundreds of shows across towns and cities and bringing live music back into the heart of the UK’s local communities.

It is now reaffirming its commitment to supporting the arts with this major partnership. Powered by the lottery, the festival itself will be delivered between Music Venue Trust, Save Our Scene and Association of Independent Promoters.

For a weekend, grassroots venues will be operating as they should be able to all year, championing new artists, and programming a bold and exciting line-up.

“This is not a festival in a field. It’s a festival on your doorstep, no tent required. Forget the trek, the traffic and the campsites. This summer’s most exciting live music experience is coming to a venue near you. Everywhere At Once is more than a line-up of gigs. It’s a national moment to celebrate the grassroots music ecosystem,” the press release concludes.

Audiences have the opportunity to support a range of vital music charities at point of purchase, with donations supporting War Child, Nordoff and Robbins, Help Musicians UK, and Teenage Cancer Trust.

Full details of all gigs will be announced soon at www.everywherefest.com.

See: LIVE Trust UK Details Grassroots Music Sector Help

The Ferret, Preston — The Ferret in Preston is also participating in Everywhere At Once. It’s one of the venues that got saved by the incredible efforts of the Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery. *Courtesy MVT*

Comments:

Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, “This is a hugely significant moment for the grassroots music sector. Seeing hundreds of venues come together across one weekend shows the true strength and scale of the network that underpins live music in the UK. Thanks to the support from The National Lottery, Everywhere At Once can pair visibility with meaningful, practical support, putting real investment directly into venues while amplifying their collective voice. Together, this sends a clear message: live music doesn’t just happen in major cities or festival fields – it happens on our high streets, in our towns, and in the spaces communities rely on. This is what solidarity looks like in action, and it sets a powerful benchmark for what we can achieve when venues move forward together.”

Alastair Ruxton, Chief Impact Officer at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, “National Lottery funding is the cornerstone of the arts across the country and, because of our players, projects and venues – both large and small – can continue to play a role in each and every community. This partnership with Music Venue Trust recognises the essential role grassroots music venues and promoters play in supporting new artists and talent across the industry and their role in so many communities. The Everywhere At Once festival will have more stages, and highlight more artists, than any field can across the summer and create a uniting moment for communities up and down the country to come together and enjoy incredible live music.”

George Fleming of Save Our Scene, “In the summer things can sometimes seem quieter for venues, but Everywhere At Once proves that the grassroots never stands still. Venues across the country opening their doors for music and charity is a really powerful message, and Save Our Scene is excited to be part of it.”

Subscribe to Pollstar HERE

Daily Pulse