The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has criticized comments made by the executive director of Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena, Gary Roden, regarding grassroots music venues. Roden stated that some smaller venues in the UK are “poorly run” and dismissed calls for a £1 ticket levy on all gigs arena-sized and above. MVT CEO Mark Davyd called Roden’s comments “disrespectful and disingenuous,” highlighting the irony of such remarks on the week that Co-Op Live’s own launch was postponed due to logistical issues. Davyd emphasized that grassroots venues face significant challenges and require direct investment for talent development, not training programs.