MVT HOPES THINGS GO BETTER WITH COKE

Coca-Cola has stepped in to help protect the U.K.'s grassroots-venue community via a partnership with Music Venue Trust. The first fruits are a series of funded gigs.

Singer-songwriter Casey Lowry will headline the run of 13 shows in venues across the U.K. in September and October. The tour aims to allow venues to raise funds while offering Coke Zero drinkers a chance to win gig tickets.

“This is the start of an incredibly important partnership with Coca Cola that we hope will bring support to grassroots music venues right across the country,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd . “Every local community deserves access to an excellent live-music experience right on their doorstep. This project demonstrates how MVT can work with great partners to make that happen.”

Paul Hiskins, who holds the rather arduous title of associate director of Partnerships and Sponsorships at Coco-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said the brand aims to “support venues in a number of ways moving forward.”