THE Scottish Greens have highlighted their plans to protect grassroots venues ahead of singer Taylor Swift’s world tour stop in Edinburgh this weekend.

According to the Music Venue Trust, the number of smaller venues closing in Scotland climbed from just one in 2021 to five in 2022, and 14 last year, cutting off vital opportunities for artists to get a foothold in the industry.

The Scottish Greens have now proposed a £1 levy on stadium concert tickets, a tax they say could net £1 million a year from Scotland’s two biggest stadia alone.