From 1 April 2026, all pubs and live music venues will benefit from a 15% business rate relief on their annual bills.
Who can claim the relief
Pubs
Your pub can apply if it allows:
- visiting members of the public
- free entry (other than when occasional entertainment is provided)
- customers to drink without eating food
- drinks to be purchased at a bar
For these purposes, the meaning of pub does not include the following venues:
- cafes, restaurants or snack bars
- casinos
- cinemas
- festival sites
- hotels or guesthouses
- museums or exhibition halls
- nightclubs
- sporting venues
- theatres or concert halls
Live music venues
Your live music venue can apply if it's wholly or mainly used for live music performances to entertain an audience.
The venue can be used for other activities, but only if those activities are ancillary or incidental to the performance of live music. This includes selling food and drink to audience members.
A property is not a live music venue for the purpose of this relief if it's wholly or mainly used as a nightclub or theatre.