Manchester mayor Bev Craig has committed £2m to help local musicians, telling a creative industries conference that Greater Manchester's music scene amounts to far more than its famous guitar bands, according to The Guardian.
The funding is intended to widen access to rehearsal and production space across the city region, offering practical help and keeping music jobs within local communities. Craig announced the pledge while Greater Manchester hosted a creative industries conference at MediaCity in Salford.
She described a deliberate strategy behind the city's approach to music, both in building its own industry and in drawing major international events.
Why it matters
Craig's remarks touch on a tension that has followed Manchester's music reputation for decades: global recognition built largely on a handful of indie guitar acts, set against a much broader and more varied pool of artists who struggle to be heard.
According to The Guardian, Craig said the industry is becoming increasingly middle-class and concentrated in London, while the cost of breaking through keeps rising. Her argument is that without targeted support, the next generation of local talent may never get the chance to develop.
The £2m is separate from a £4m Culture Fund announced earlier this month, which is earmarked for music projects ranging from small grassroots venues to major institutions.
A year of big stages and Black music
Manchester's Co-op Live arena hosted both the Brit awards and the Mobos earlier this year. The Guardian reports that the Mobos are Europe's largest and most influential celebration of Black music and culture.
Craig said she pushed for a major event honouring Black music and creativity, and that the decision to host the Mobos' 30th anniversary came shortly after the Brits. She said the city knew it would be the last edition the awards' founder Kanya would be able to attend.
"I think there's a real intentionality around what we're doing with our music scene," she said, noting that Greater Manchester is recognised worldwide for the influence of its indie guitar bands, but that there is more to the region's output than Oasis.
Craig said she was struck by the diversity, creativity and talent on show, and framed her task as giving local artists the support they need to become the next big thing — "guitar band or not."
Speaking at Beyond the Music's creative industries AI summit on Friday, she also set out plans to broaden opportunity in the sector. The Guardian reports she committed to supporting AI literacy for music professionals and to tracking how new technologies affect employment, income and diversity in Greater Manchester's music workforce.
A festival running alongside the summit featured emerging Black and minority ethnic artists, including Bawo, JayaHadADream and Alt Blk Era.
Political backing and a personal playlist
The conference's final day was convened by prime minister Andy Burnham, whose affection for Manchester guitar bands is well documented.
Culture minister Ian Murray addressed delegates, saying passion for music runs from the very top of government. He noted the pace of technological change but argued that creativity's future will not be decided by technology alone, and will instead depend on choices made now about supporting talent, rewarding creativity and embracing innovation.
Craig, newly elected as mayor, confirmed she intends to see Oasis on their sellout tour next year, which includes 11 nights at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. She joked that higher pint prices and an older crowd meant the atmosphere would be calmer than at past shows.
She added that as someone who enjoys all kinds of music, she was as eager to watch Merseyside band the Ks at Beyond the Music as she was to see Oasis, and said her taste leans further towards dance music than that of her predecessor.
What to watch next: how the £2m is allocated across rehearsal and production spaces, and whether the promised monitoring of AI's effect on music jobs produces concrete findings.
