The inaugural Everywhere At Once festival launched this weekend, bringing artists to hundreds of grassroots venues nationwide during Glastonbury's fallow year. Organizers aim to highlight the importance of these spaces amid ongoing challenges for live music.
Hundreds of thousands of fans would typically head to Worthy Farm this weekend, but with Glastonbury taking its traditional fallow year, the Music Venue Trust stepped in. The event features acts including Rizzle Kicks, Inspiral Carpets, Becky Hill, Fatboy Slim and Tinie Tempah at over 400 venues, creating more than 1,000 events with around 2,500 artists.
MVT CEO Mark Davyd noted that the combined capacity of UK grassroots venues matches Glastonbury's size at 252,000. "These venues are still here and still putting on great shows," he said. The festival runs until Sunday 28 June, encouraging fans to discover local spots via postcode search.
Rizzle Kicks return to Patterns in Brighton after 15 years, while Inspiral Carpets play in Chester, Shrewsbury and Stoke. Keyboardist Clint Boon emphasized the venues' role in artist development, recalling Noel Gallagher's early days as their roadie. Live events manager Ben Street at Voodoo Daddy's Showroom in Norwich highlighted the chance to see intimate performances up close.
