Vauxhall has announced it will support Independent Venue Week by providing a Vivaro van for free use by artists.

Independent Venue Week will take place 25-31 January, with more than 120 venues from across the country are expected to take part.

Dave Harper of Frankie & The Heartstrings, who took part in last year’s Vivaro on Tour campaign, said: “Independent venues are – at best – functioning, and, at their worst, under pressure from more corporate venues, so having a thing like Independent Venue Week shining a light on the great and the good among our many independent venues is fine by me.

“Vauxhall were kind enough to provide us with a van to kick-off our tour, and we were nice enough not to smash it to pieces.”

Sybil Bell, founder of Independent Venue Week, said: “Smaller venues are crucial parts of the UK music scene, where some of the biggest names today have started out. Independent Venue Week is all about putting a spotlight on these independently-run businesses in order to keep the music scene thriving. The Vivaro on Tour campaign is a great way of providing similar support and championing smaller, up-and-coming bands who will be playing across these venues this year”.