The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has revealed that UK Music will be its headline partner for Venues Day 2016, which takes place on 18 October at The Roundhouse, London.

MVT, a charity created to champion and protect grassroots music in the UK, has also announced the key themes of this year’s event: localism & community and the music industry.

Venues Day, a national event aimed at small-to medium-scale venue owners, saw more than 400 delegates descend on the Ministry of Sound in 2015 for a day of networking and debate of issues affecting the industry.

Mark Davyd, CEO of MVT, said: “We’re delighted to be working closely with UK Music in a number of areas protecting, securing and improving grassroots music venues.”

“UK Music is proud to be the headline sponsor for Venues Day 2016,” added UK Music chief executive Jo Dipple. “British grassroots music venues are facing enormous pressures, some that threaten survival. These pressures might be applied to individual venues, but they require national policy and national action. The effect of leaving things to deteriorate does not bear thinking about. Music venues are necessary incubators for British music. We must act. And we must act now”.