Wednesday briefing: ​Can we afford to be optimistic about grassroots music venues?

In today’s newsletter: ​M​usic spaces are welcoming bigger crowds again, ​b​ut the industry remain​s fragile as rising costs and shrinking local circuits threaten the next generation of talent

Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich

Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influence

UK grassroots music venues show lowest decline since 2018 as sector stabilises post-pandemic

The number of small venues shrank by just nine in 2025, but more than half of them reported making no profit, while employment in the sector dropped almost 22%

Can’t stand losing out: battle over the Police’s royalties reaches high court

Dispute between Sting and former bandmates relates to whether streaming revenue, estimated at £1.5m, features in ‘arranger’s fees’

Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, guitarist for rock band Black Midi, dies aged 26

Family statement said Mercury prize-nominated musician died ‘after a long battle with his mental health’

Andrew Clements, Guardian’s classical music critic, dies aged 75

An outstanding critical voice, his deep knowledge and love of music was evident in everything he wrote

‘The Beethoven of our day’: Fans on what David Bowie meant to them 10 years after his death

At the annual gathering at the Starman memorial in south London devotees talk about the immense impact the artist’s life and death had on them

David Bowie’s childhood home to open to public after 1960s restoration

South London house to feature never-before-seen archival items and creative workshops for young people

One of UK’s largest concert instruments will sound again after being restored to glory

At 14 metres tall and with intricate maze of pipes, valves and keys, the Bristol Britton organ produces ‘colossal’ sound

London Symphony Orchestra announces John Harte as managing director

Harte, who was been Aurora orchestra’s chief executive since 2009, replaces Kathryn McDowell

It would be an honour to write James Bond theme song, says Noel Gallagher

Songsmith’s comments come after his brother Liam stoked rumours Oasis had been courted for the role

2025 was the year we grew tired of celebrity for celebrity’s sake

Being blasted into space or taking over Venice no longer cuts it. The rich and famous are being punished for their conspicuous vacuity, says Guardian arts and culture correspondent Nadia Khomami

Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for the Cure, dies aged 65

Starting as a roadie and guitar tech, Bamonte joined the band in 1990 after its breakthrough album Disintegration

What happened next: the Oasis comeback – and how it transformed a hill in Manchester

When the band played their homecoming shows, the city council attempted to discourage ticketless fans from an area that became known as ‘Gallagher Hill’. But, realistically, nothing could keep them away ...

Police end investigation into Bob Vylan’s IDF chants at Glastonbury

Avon and Somerset police says there is ‘insufficient’ evidence for realistic prospect of conviction