Entertainment · Music · 9 hrs ago
Manchester mayor announces £2m to support a wider range of local musicians
Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig has pledged £2m to support local musicians and a wider range of music.
She said the region’s music is known internationally for indie guitar bands such as Oasis, but its scene is broader.
The funding is intended to improve access to rehearsal and production spaces and provide practical support and local jobs for musicians.
It comes in addition to a £4m Culture Fund investment announced earlier this month for music projects, from grassroots venues to major institutions.
Craig said it was important to help new artists succeed as the music industry becomes more London-centred and expensive to enter.
She also outlined plans to support music professionals’ understanding of artificial intelligence and monitor how new technology affects jobs, income and diversity.
The funding is aimed at helping local talent develop, whether or not they play in guitar bands.
Manchester mayor Bev Craig announced £2m to support a wider range of local musicians.
The funding is intended to improve access to rehearsal and production space and provide practical support.
Craig said Greater Manchester’s music scene includes more than its well-known indie guitar bands.
She said the plan aims to help local artists break through in an industry she described as increasingly middle-class and London-centric.
The announcement came as Greater Manchester hosted a creative industries conference at MediaCity in Salford.
- Who
- Manchester mayor Bev Craig announced the funding.
- What
- Greater Manchester will receive £2m to support local musicians and widen opportunities in the music industry.
- When
- Friday, during the conference; the article was published on 11 October 2026.
- Where
- Greater Manchester, with the conference held at MediaCity in Salford.
- Why
- To improve access to rehearsal and production space, provide practical support and help local artists build careers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
there’s more to Greater Manchester’s music scene than just Oasis
I’m struck by the diversity, the creativity, the talent that we see
guitar band or not
Manchester’s Co-op Live arena hosted the Brit awards and the Mobos.
A £4m Culture Fund investment was announced for music projects.
Bev Craig announced £2m in funding while addressing Beyond the Music’s creative industries AI summit.
- Funding announced
- £2m
- Additional Culture Fund investment
- £4m
- Conference venue
- MediaCity, Salford
- Mayor
- Bev Craig
- Mobos anniversary
- 30th
Sources
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