Imagine a city where music is as accessible as a Wikipedia page—no barriers, no gatekeepers, just open access for all.

In this London, anyone can walk into a venue and explore new sounds, from Icelandic post-rock to Afro-Brazilian maracatu, or even Japanese city pop.

No need to scroll endlessly online—live music would be waiting around every corner, open to anyone curious enough to show up.

Right now, London’s grassroots music venues—the heart of the city’s cultural and creative life—are struggling to survive due to rising costs.

Audiences are increasingly priced out, and the global trend toward mainstream streaming means that grassroots artists are often overlooked.

We believe in democratising music—making it as easy for people to access live performances as it is to explore an article on Wikipedia.

Let’s turn London into a space where music is for everyone.

The ask is simple: create a bank of tickets for those who need and want them, at venues that need and want them.

 

OUR ASK
To make this vision of open access and democratised music a reality there are a few steps.

We’re calling on ticketing platforms and STAR to:

1. Implement Pay-It-Forward tickets: Let music lovers, or concertgoers buy extra tickets for those who can’t afford them or just want to explore, ensuring that live music is accessible to all, regardless of financial situation or existing musical preferences.

2. Waive Fees on Pay-It-Forward tickets: Eliminate fees to make it effortless for people to contribute, making generosity a seamless part of the music experience.

And we call on the Mayor of London to:

3. Encourage brand sponsorship: Invite brands to sponsor pay-it-forward ticket banks as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs, supporting local venues while making live music accessible to wider audiences.

The impact of this petition would supplement the efforts of the Music Venue Trust (MVT) to support grassroots venues through their Artist pledge. This pledge asks for £1 of every arena concert ticket to go towards supporting grassroots venues — a drive that would raise a little over 20 million pounds a year.

Here are the facts:

• The MVT 2023 report states that the average running cost for a grassroots music venue is 500k a year
• There are 835 remaining venues in the UK
• If the £1 levy on arena shows raises 20 million a year, that would only support 40 venues per year

As things currently stand, without changes in business rates by local councils, or discounts in energy plans (an overhead that is crucifying venues), to support all 835 venues for one year, the yearly figure needed is £498.6 million.

 

Why the impact of this petition matters for London  – and the UK

With enough support from humans and brands, this simple act of enabling Pay-It-Forward functionality in ticketing platforms could spark an explosion of creativity and stoke appetites for exploration. 

For us, tickets are paywalls

So we figured out a way to create a world of open access to music – where live performances are as easy to explore as browsing a free library of ideas.

No financial barriers—just pure, spontaneous discovery. 

That’s why we liken the impact of our petition to turning London into the Wikipedia of live music.

 

Make London a playground for music exploration

London is renowned for its music, but for the scene to thrive, we must democratise access—removing the financial and social barriers that prevent people from exploring live music.

Just like Wikipedia made knowledge freely available to everyone, our vision is to make music discovery open and inclusive for all. And in the process, we can solve one of the biggest problems facing new music today: the closure of venues.

When we lower these barriers, grassroots venues will become spaces of true exploration.

People could wander into a pub in Dalston to experience experimental folk, or discover underground vaporwave in a Peckham warehouse—without worrying about the cost if the music isn't to their taste. 

It’s about more than saving venues; it’s about creating a cultural shift where live music is for everyone, fuelling creativity, spontaneity, and community connection.

The impact
By supporting this petition, you’re helping to democratise live music—ensuring that no one is priced out of the experience, and that grassroots venues remain vital spaces of discovery. 

Pay-It-Forward tickets would create a ripple effect of generosity, where those with the means can help others experience the joy of live music.

Grassroots artists would have the chance to grow their fan base, reaching new audiences, while venues benefit from increased attendance.

In this open-access world, London would be a city where the next genre-defying artist can emerge from any venue, with audiences willing and eager to explore.

Just as open access in publishing breaks down walls to knowledge, open access to grassroots music would invite everyone to step into a venue and experience new sounds, without hesitation.

It’s a future where live music belongs to everyone, and where creativity thrives without barriers. We would turn London into a hub of musical innovation, where the city's cultural diversity is showcased and celebrated.

Join the movement
Sign and share this petition to help democratise music and make London the open-access capital of live music.

Together, we can ensure that everyone—regardless of background or income—has the chance to discover, explore, and enjoy the rich diversity of live performances our city has to offer.

Who we are

We're What Does Not, a culture agency concerned with the preservation and evolution of humans and culture. Because of this preoccupation, we've launched the NOISE initiative to make more than a dent. We want to rethink the whole grassroots music ecosystem for musicians, audiences, and venues.

Our comprehensive approach addresses the challenges faced by artists and posed by audiences through the NOISE showcase & jam, and the WIP music socials. With this petition, we now seek to redress some of the issues faced by venues too.

Check out NOISE & WIP on our website.

Let us know you've signed on Instagram: @whatdoesnot