YolanDa Brown Confirmed As Artist Ambassador For Independent Venue Week 2025

YolanDa Brown has been revealed as Artist Ambassador for Independent Venue Week 2025. 

The two-time MOBO-winning jazz musician, broadcaster and author will follow artists such as English Teacher, Wet Leg, Beabadoobee and Philip Selway in leading the line-up for the week-long series of events celebrating independent venues and the people that run them.

The annual event will take place between January 27 and February 2, with 149 venues so far confirmed to come together with artists, promoters, agents, record labels and media to host special events highlighting the grassroots music scene.

More than 200 venues are expected to take part, with Brown’s own Soul Mama in Stratford, London signed up among 24 venues getting involved for the first time. A full list of IVW25 venues can be found here. Founder of Independent Venue Week, Sybil Bell said:

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a really broad range of IVW Ambassadors over the years including those at the start of their careers to household names, as well as a wide range of genres. This year, with YolanDa, we’re honoured to not only have such an accomplished musician but also an esteemed industry figure and new venue owner.

“Many of YolanDa’s fans and followers will be new to Independent Venue Week and it’s incredibly exciting for us to bring a new audience to our celebration and share some wonderful stories of our amazing community.”

Brown will play a special Independent Venue Week show at Soul Mama on February 1, performing the music of Bob Marley. She said: “Independent venues are, and will always remain important to the music ecosystem. They are the heartbeat of the live experience, not just for artists but for audiences as well.

“Within these intimate spaces, countless stories are told – some songs and performances may never transcend the walls, yet they leave a lasting mark, offering hope, joy, inspiration, and sometimes even tears.

“These venues are the breeding grounds and an important outlet for creativity and expression. As a new venue owner, it is important to have more diversity in music venue ownership in order to create a platform for new stories to be told.”

Other acts confirmed to perform at independent venues across the week include Ibibio Sound Machine, Gilles Peterson, The Bug Club, Dodgy, The Blockheads, C Duncan, Lizzie Esau + Dirty Blonde, and Do Nothing. More names are to be revealed in due course.

Independent Venue Week is back from Mon 27th Jan to Sun 2nd Feb 25 💛

Sign up to our mailing list https://t.co/IhSV5kVR0K to win prizes & hear about what’s happening across the week.

See you down the front at hundreds of #livemusic #gigs in IVW #venues for #IVW25💛 pic.twitter.com/BM1wlExuEp

— Independent Venue Week (@IVW_UK) October 29, 2024

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