Braehead Arena puts artists first with ground-breaking move

Published: July 24, 2025

Braehead Arena puts artists first with ground-breaking move to drop all merch charges – and adds optional £1 donation to tickets to support grass-roots musicians and venues

A Scots arena has become the largest venue in the UK to drop all fees on merchandise sold by artists at their shows, which will make a massive difference to the income of performers – commissions and fees can mean they hand over up to 25 per cent of merch sales.

Braehead Arena is the first arena and the biggest venue to commit to not charging artists fees for selling merch – and is adding an optional £1 donation to every ticket sold to support grass roots music through the Live Trust.

The Arena – home of the Glasgow Clan ice hockey team – has partnered with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events to work on developing a programme of world class live music, entertainment, comedy and sporting shows and events.

With a bigger focus on live music in the Arena set to bring even more big names, previous shows have included Oasis, Alice in Chains, Paul Weller, Kelly Clarkson, INXS, Blondie, SUM 41, Bob Dylan, Jean Michele Jarre, Snoop Dog, Blink-182 and Beyoncé.

New CEO Russ Smith insists it’s vital that larger venues in particular throw their weight behind supporting artists to safeguard the future of music – so Braehead Arena has taken action to show its desire to help musicians is genuine.

Russ said: “Braehead Arena is the perfect venue for artists on their way to the very top of the game – with a capacity of 5,300 we are a vital bridge from theatre scale to the biggest arenas and stadiums.

“With the nature of record deals in the streaming era, we understand that merch has become an essential income source for artists at all levels.

“It’s important that we demonstrate we’re really for music and for musicians – we are not just trying to jump on a trend. We really care about this.

“That’s why we have taken the decision to drop all fees and commission charges on merch sold here by or for artists playing the Arena.

“We hope this commitment will help ensure a bright future for music and musicians, especially here in Scotland where there’s so much talent we should all be proud of.”

 The venue is also adding an optional £1 donation to every ticket sold for all live music shows, which will be donated in full to the Live Trust to help grass roots venues and artists survive, again ensuring future paths to arenas and a starting point for emerging talents.

Russ said: “Including the optional £1 donation is about making sure the incredibly rich culture of music in Scotland in particular is protected and encouraged. 

“By supporting smaller venues our gig goers will be helping future stars take those early steps on the pathway to headlining arenas like Braehead.

 “It is very much an optional donation though. I know times are tough for everyone right now but hope fans will see the benefit of adding the extra £1 – we offer free parking for all shows here which may help.”

The huge moves by Glasgow’s second largest arena come as they announce a strategic partnership with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events, who manage venues around the UK and are committed to the fee-free merch sales pledge at their other sites too.

Carl Bathgate, Commercial Director at Ghostwriter, said: “We are extremely proud to be the live music partners of Braehead Arena as it fills a clear gap in terms of capacity in Glasgow.

“Our aim is to deliver a much-needed versatile space that provides more opportunities for artists at this level to connect with their fans and create unforgettable live experiences.

“As the first arena in the UK to adopt our model, Braehead joins our growing family of venues committed to supporting artists by not charging commission on merchandise sales.

“With rising costs of touring and the shift to streaming, artists depend more on merchandise sales to let them earn money and continue touring.

“We’re firmly committed to doing everything we can to support artists, promoters and our customers, helping to sustain live performance as a vital and accessible part of the music industry.”

Helen McGee, Ghostwriter’s Head of Venues, added: “We’re delighted to partner with Braehead Arena and firmly believe there is a real need for a venue of this scale in Glasgow.

“As a member of the Music Venue Trust board, I’m especially pleased to see a venue of this size recognise the pivotal role that grassroots venues and the wider community play in the development of artists and industry professionals at every level.”

Braehead Arena is now operated by TDL Media. These announcements mark the first steps into a bold and exciting new era for the Arena.

The venue is also committed to Braehead Ambition, a strategic partnership between SGS UK Retail, TDL Media and XPE launched to align the marketing, management and leasing of Braehead Shopping Centre, Braehead Arena and XSite to boost visitor numbers by more than a million people annually. 

The retail and leisure complex currently attracts 16.3million visitors annually, benefits from supporting road networks, ample free parking and a wide variety of pre-event on-site dining options.

Braehead Arena also boasts fantastic transport links with Glasgow’s international airport only 10 minutes away.

For further information on Braehead Arena or interview requests with Russ, contact Mickey at Dirt Comms – mickey@dirtcomms.net / 07818013798