HMRC minister Dan Tomlinson says pub and music venue rates will be slashed in 2026/27, then frozen in real terms for two more years. In today’s climate, that’s the difference between pulling pints or pulling the shutters down. It's a rare bit of good news for Britain’s battered boozers and struggling gig venues. Crucially, the relief will also apply to live music spaces, many of which are classed as pubs. Ministers talked up a lower multiplier and transitional relief, but industry bosses warned it was nowhere near enough.