On 27 January the government announced a new business rates support package for pubs and live music venues.
If your business is eligible, it will receive a 15% discount on your business rates bill for 2026/27. This will be applied after other reliefs (such as transitional relief and small business rate relief).
Additionally, if your business is qualifies for this relief, your bill will only go up with inflation in 2027/28 and 2028/29.
How your business can qualify
Pubs
Your business property will be considered to be a pub and qualify for this relief, if all of the following apply:
- It is open to the general public
- It allows free entry, other than when occasional entertainment is provided
- It allows drinking without requiring food to be consumed
- It allows drinks to be purchased at a bar
The following are not counted as pubs, and will not qualify for this relief:
- Restaurants
- Cafés
- Nightclubs
- Snack bars
- Hotels
- Guesthouses
- Boarding houses
- Sporting venues
- Festival sites
- Theatres
- Concert halls
- Cinemas
- Museums
- Exhibition halls
- Casinos
Live venues
Your business property will be considered to be a live music venue and qualify for this relief, if it is:
- Wholly or mainly used for the performance of live music, to entertain an audience
- The property can be used for other activities, but only if those other activities either:
- Are in addition or incidental to the performance of live music (for example, the sale of food or drink to audience members)
- or Do not affect the primary use of the premises for the performance of live music (for example, because the activities are infrequent, such as use of the venue as a polling station or fortnightly community event)
The government has said that nightclubs and theatres are not counted as live music venues.
Please visit the GOV.UK - Pubs and live music venues relief news page for more information.
As this is a new scheme announced from the government, we will publish a new policy shortly.
Contact us