Music Venues Are Turning Green Rooms Into Hotel Rooms
A developing practice originating in the United Kingdom aims to lower touring expenses by repurposing spaces within music venues to provide accommodation for performing artists.
The economics of touring are becoming increasingly challenging. Rising fuel costs and increased accommodation rates are leading to situations where musicians may experience a financial loss despite a successful tour.
Venues are now converting underutilized areas, such as offices, green rooms, and upper floors, into quality on-site lodging for touring acts.
Providing lodging adjacent to the performance space eliminates a significant expense for artists. For developing bands, saving several hundred dollars per night on accommodation can determine whether a tour is viable.
This change is being facilitated by strategic investment within the industry. The UK Music Venue Trust (MVT) recently announced a partnership with Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) to implement a national venue improvement program.
The program is funded by the Grassroots Levy, a contribution from ticket sales at large UK arenas and stadiums that is allocated to support the live music sector. This funding enables venues to make renovations to install facilities such as showers, bunk rooms, and kitchenettes.
Voodoo Daddy in Norwich, UK has already incorporated triple-stack bunk beds and modernized facilities to accommodate both international and domestic touring artists. Venue owner Ben Street noted that artists often previously had to forego social aspects of touring to reduce expenses at budget motels. With on-site housing, bands can dedicate more time to engaging with fans and selling merchandise, fostering a more sustainable and positive touring environment.
This new model is considered a crucial measure to support the live touring industry. Beyond cost savings, it offers practical advantages.
When artists retain more of their earnings by reducing hotel expenses, they are more likely to accept performances, continue touring, release new music, and progress to larger venues – the same venues that are now contributing to these improvements. Industry restructuring is prompting a wider discussion on financial viability for creatives.
