Glastonbury may be falling silent this year but it will be replaced by Britain’s biggest ever music festival – which can be enjoyed without being forced to spend nights under canvas or wading through mud to see your favourite bands. UK charity Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery have unveiled the Everywhere At Once – a festival on your doorstep taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of June 26 to 28, 2026. This will see hundreds of grassroots music venues across the country unite for one extraordinary weekend, venues from Inverness to Penzance, hosting hundreds of major artists, touring acts and the most exciting emerging local talent in the spaces that have launched generations of musicians.
The unique festival will enable audiences to experience a diverse, curated programme of live music in the intimate rooms that are the heartbeat of their neighbourhoods – but are in critical danger of going bust. The Express’ Strike A Chord campaign is fighting to help protect the music eco-system from school classrooms through to the grassroot venues that feed our world-leading popular music industry.
The National Lottery is a long standing supporter of the grassroots music scene and says it is reaffirming its commitment to supporting the arts with this major partnership, which will be delivered between Music Venue Trust, Save Our Scene and Association of Independent Promoters.
Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust said: « This is a hugely significant moment for the grassroots music sector. Seeing hundreds of venues come together across one weekend shows the true strength and scale of the network that underpins live music in the UK. Thanks to the support from The National Lottery, Everywhere At Once can pair visibility with meaningful, practical support, putting real investment directly into venues while amplifying their collective voice.
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Together, this sends a clear message: live music doesn’t just happen in major cities or festival fields – it happens on our high streets, in our towns, and in the spaces communities rely on. This is what solidarity looks like in action, and it sets a powerful benchmark for what we can achieve when venues move forward together. »
Alastair Ruxton, chief impact officer at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery said: “National Lottery funding is the cornerstone of the arts across the country and, because of our players, projects and venues – both large and small – can continue to play a role in each and every community. This partnership with Music Venue Trust recognises the essential role grassroots music venues and promoters play in supporting new artists and talent across the industry and their role in so many communities. The Everywhere At Once festival will have more stages, and highlight more artists, than any field can across the summer and create a uniting moment for communities up and down the country to come together and enjoy incredible live music.”
Audiences will be given the opportunity to support a range of exceptional and vital music charities at point of purchase, with donations supporting War Child, Nordoff and Robbins, Help Musicians UK, and Teenage Cancer Trust.
George Fleming of Save Our Scene said: “In the summer things can sometimes seem quieter for venues, but Everywhere At Once proves that the grassroots never stands still. Venues across the country opening their doors for music and charity is a really powerful message, and Save Our Scene is excited to be part of it.”
Full details of all gigs will be announced soon on socials at @musicvenuetrust / #everywhereatonce
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