Artists say live music venues in B.C. must be protected — but it'll require help from municipal governments

Musician Jody Glenham worries about the future of live music in Vancouver, a city brimming with talent but where the cost of rent for both musicians and music venues is making it difficult to have a full-time career in music.

"People are leaving the city because they have no other choice," she said.

Glenham balances work as a musician, a DJ and a talent booker to make ends meet. 

She said the situation for musicians — in many cases, those hoping to one day earn a Juno nomination for their work — is "dire."

As the cost of living continues to skyrocket and spaces for musicians to perform become fewer, some say municipal music strategies are becoming increasingly important. 

A municipal music strategy is a set of policies created by municipal governments to help bolster local musicians.

Vancouver and Victoria, for example, both have music strategies.

"One of the big impetuses for the music strategy was the affordability crisis was hitting arts and culture," said Matt Dell, a Victoria city councillor and local musician. "As properties became more valuable, commercial spaces downtown became more valuable, arts and culture was just sort of getting priced out of the market."

Having read the Vancouver strategy and being a working musician in the city, Glenham wonders whether it's really being implemented.

Protecting live music venues

The Canadian Live Music Association recently released the results of a study on the impact live music has on the Canadian economy. It found that in 2023 alone, live music contributed $10.9 billion to the country's GDP and supported more than 100,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

"Live music is a really big deal, and not just because it's awesome … but it's also a super important economic driver in the country," said association board chair Tarun Nayar. 

But when venues like the non-profit-run Victoria Events Centre and nightclubs on Granville Street are closing, it's tough for musicians to keep playing and thus contributing to the country's economy. 

Nayar, who says he helped create the Vancouver and Victoria music strategies, said protecting existing venues is the number one thing local governments can be doing to help bolster the live music scene. 

Victoria's strategy resulted in the city purchasing the building that houses local music venue Hermann's Jazz Club, in order to preserve and protect a valuable live music space.

Saadi D'hoore, music officer for the City of Vancouver is, like many of the people working with municipalities on music, also a musician.  His job, which is part of the city's music strategy, involves working with musicians, businesses and audiences to help address some of the challenges the music community faces.

D'hoore said there's an argument to be made for some sort of community-owned venue or cultural land trust.

"We should work towards community ownership of these assets," he said.

Glenham wonders if rent control should be introduced for music venues. Alternatively, she suggests financial relief for live music spaces. 

D'hoore said that would be complex and perhaps outside his purview; however, he said part of his job is talking to artists and venues about these types of solutions. 

"I think there's a lot to explore," he said.