Pubs and live music venues relief
General principles
On 27 January 2026 the Government announced that it will provide a 15% relief for Pubs and Live Music Venues for one year from 1 April 2026 (financial year 2026/2027 only).
Key criteria
- The property must be occupied
And,
- Wholly or mainly used as a:
- Pub
- Live music venue
- There is no rateable value limit
Eligible businesses
A pub is considered to mean a property that:
- Is open to the public
- Allows free entry other than when occasional entertainment is provided
- Allows drinking without food to be consumed
- Permits drinks to be purchased at a bar
A live music venue is considered to mean a property that:
- Is wholly or mainly used for the performance of live music for the purpose of entertaining an audience
- Can be used for other activities but only if the other activities
- Are ancillary or incidental to the performance of live music (e.g. the sale of food and drink to audience members
- Do not affect the primary use of the premises for the performance of live music (e.g. because the activities are infrequent such as use of the venue as a polling station or fortnightly community event)
Exclusions
The Government does not consider the following to be eligible business uses:
- Restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, snack bars
- Hotel, guesthouses, boarding houses
- Sporting venues
- Festival sites, theatres, cinemas
- Museums, exhibition halls
- Casinos
The exclusions are not exhaustive, and it is for Authorities to determine those cases where eligibility is unclear.
Claiming pubs and live music venues relief
New applicants are required to complete an online application form.
Maximum award
The total amount of Government funded discount available for each property under this scheme for financial year 2026/27 is 15% of the bill after all mandatory and discretionary reliefs have been applied but before discretionary reliefs granted under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act, for example Hardship Relief and Discretionary Rate Relief for Charity and Not for Profit Organisations.
The maximum discount awarded will not exceed the net liability.
Ratepayers that occupy more than one property will be entitled to a discount for each of their eligible properties.
Notification
Where the application is successful, a revised bill will be issued. Where the application is not successful, the notification will provide full reasons for the decision and confirm the applicant’s right to request a review of the decision.