Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens celebrate Independent Venue Week 2025 with BBC Radio 6 Music

Today (Monday 13 January) on his BBC Radio 6 Music show, Steve Lamacq’s Teatime Session (Mondays 4-7pm), Steve announced 6 Music’s State of Independent Venues – a five day deep-dive into the UK’s independent, live music industry.

Broadcast from Monday 27 – Friday 31 January (4-7pm) within Steve’s show on Monday and Huw Stephens’ show (Tuesday – Friday, 4-7pm), State of Independent Venues sees Steve and Huw shine a light on the British live music industry in 2025. Marking BBC Radio 6 Music’s long-standing partnership with Independent Venue Week, they will celebrate our independent venues, nightclubs, festivals and the artists who make the music we love and explore how we can protect it all for the future.

Steve says: “Britain’s grassroots independent venues are so often the unsung heroes of our music industry, discovering and nurturing the big artists of tomorrow while bringing the joy of live music to their local communities. So it’s always a pleasure to celebrate their contribution to the music scene and explore what makes them tick.

“We’ll be kicking off the week at one of my favourite venues, Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, where I’ve seen so many great gigs over the years and which has been responsible for helping to launch the careers of local bands like Yard Act and Mercury Prize Winners English Teacher. It’s the sort of place which, if it was round the corner from me, I’d probably be in every night of the week!”

Huw says: “For venues, festivals and promoters, record labels, shops and schemes, everything in independent music is connected. By talking to those actually doing it, we’ll hopefully bring some interesting and some inspiring stories to 6 Music throughout the week.”

Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music, says: “At 6 Music we are passionate about the vital role independent venues play in the industry – opening doors of opportunity for artistic expression across all musical genres. State of Independent Venues is a chance for us to bring their frustrations, stories and fantastic work to light.”

On Monday 27 January, Steve will be broadcasting live from Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, with punk duo BIG SPECIAL performing live on-air from 6.30pm, ahead of their own Independent Venue Week show that night at the venue with BBC Introducing in Leeds and Sheffield act, Gia Ford. Independent Venue Week is the UK’s annual seven-day celebration of independent music and arts venues and the people that own, run and work in them. During the show, Steve will be catching up with local heroes like Yard Act and Utah Saints, and 6 Music presenter Emily Pilbeam will also be joining Steve in conversation.

Listeners can apply for ballot tickets to the intimate live performance from BIG SPECIAL during Steve’s show from Brudenell Social Club on the BBC Shows and Tours website. Registration is now open and will close on Monday 20 Jan at 7pm. Successful applicants will be selected at random and notified once the registration period has closed.

From Tuesday 28 – Friday 31 January, Huw Stephens will be delving into the triumphs and challenges facing artists, venues, festivals and clubs. He will be joined each day by 6 Music presenter Matt Everitt, who will explore different elements of the live music industry and independent venues, such as silent cities – what happens when there is no live music left – the UK festival scene in 2025, club culture and more.

Huw’s show on Friday 31 January will come live from Margate Arts Club, a Queer-run, intersectional, community focused, grassroots arts and music venue, with a stripped back performance from Låpsley (4.30pm). Huw will also bring listeners a live DJ set from 6 Music’s Gilles Peterson (6.30pm), ahead of Gilles’ own club night at Margate Arts Club that evening, as part of his own tour.

All programmes will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after their broadcast on 6 Music.