The coronavirus pandemic is threatening the UK’s grassroots venues with a spate of closures that could take decades to recover from, according to Music Venue Trust (MVT) CEO Mark Davyd.

“The situation could not be any more serious, the next stage from where we are now is complete, total shutdown and the loss of hundreds of venues,” Davyd told Music Week. “We’re not on the edge of a cliff, we’ve fallen off and are looking for a parachute.”

With the ...