Business Rates relief for pubs and live music venues

The governent have announced that in 2026/27, eligible pubs and live music venues will receive 15% relief on their business rates bill. The bill will then be frozen in real terms for a further two years.

Eligibility

To be eligible, your pub must:

• be open to the general public
• allow free entry, other than when occasional entertainment is provided
• allow drinking without requiring food to be eaten
• allow drinks to be purchased at a bar

Your business is specifically excluded if it is:

• a restaurant, cafe, nightclub or snack bar
• a hotel, guesthouse or boarding house
• a sporting venue
• a festival site, theatre or cinema
• a museum or exhibition hall
• a casino

You can read the government guidance to check the full eligibility details.

How to apply

If we have already been able to confirm that your business is eligible, we will apply the relief to your 2026/27 bill automatically.

If you have not received the relief, and your property meets the criteria, you can apply for the relief now.

You will need to include your business rates account number, name, address and description of property, as well as your reasons for believing you are entitled to this relief. 

You should keep making payments as outlined on your bill until we tell you the outcome of your application.