One of the most concerning changes in the UK’s live music scene is the decline of the grassroots touring circuit. According to the Music Venue Trust, nearly a third of small venues are operating at a loss, which affects both events and day festivals. This situation is making it increasingly difficult for emerging artists to gain visibility. To reverse this trend, a London day festival is returning for its second year as a platform for the next generation of live music.
On The Meadows, an event dedicated to promoting the grassroots music scene, is returning to Signature Brewery on July 19th after last year’s success. This 16+ event showcases emerging UK talent and is a passion project created by 20-year-old Leo Gerchen. IINAG had the opportunity to speak with Leo about his mission to support artists from the ground up.
“I knew a lot of bands who said they were applying for hundreds of festivals every year and it’s like throwing that application into the void,” Gerchen says, “Overhearing that we thought we might be able to do something, come together and make a day festival in London not out of spite to those events for not booking us but rather so we can celebrate grassroots artists.”
Seeking to fill this void for a festival that promotes new talent, Gerchen says that the same line-ups year on year are preventing the masses from scouting original bands for affordable prices:
“We’re stuck in a bit of a rut where I don’t think as a generation we have a voice in terms of music. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist but I think we look backwards when we should be running forwards and stamping our own graffiti on this era.
“With our event we want to inspire the next generation of rock stars, for people to pick up guitars and want to perform it, to say ‘I want to be in a band’.”
Tapping into his own connections from the circuit as Frontman of London-based indie-punk band Emergency Break, Gerchen booked a range of established indie names and emerging talent to prove that artists can take things into their own hands. A day that ran with six hours of non-stop music, the overwhelming demand left no choice but to return this year.
“We were so inundated with applications we had to shut it early and I just remember thinking, wow, I’ve got to go through this! It’s a daunting task but it’s a great thing, it shows how many grassroots artists there are out there.”
With music running from two in the afternoon until midnight, On The Meadows 2025 features Manchester Indie-Rock band LARKINGS and The Kairos. Selecting the lineup, the curator admits, became the toughest part of the process.
To tackle this challenge, Gerchen collaborated with GoToBeat, one of London’s top music and live event promoters, to showcase some of London’s best up-and-coming artists. With The Kairos being a no-brainer top billing after watching their set at The Camden Assembly, the founder says that the aim is to showcase a range from acts who will be playing their first ever gig to bands who are in yet another festival run.
Speaking as an artist himself, Gerchen explains that this standpoint has shaped the way the festival has been built since the beginning and made it easier to communicate with the acts. For the frontman, ensuring the artists are at the core of the festival has been a main priority:
“A lot of promoters and venues will say artists will be paid in publicity, which at the time is rubbish because no reporters or reviewers appear to offer that. We want to create a festival that not only appeals to the general public but also ensures that the artist walks away satisfied. This year we’re even going to champion an artist-only area which will include press, podcasts, and an area for networking.”
With hosts Future Hits Radio, many up-and-coming artists are first getting their music heard live on air with the station playing music from the lineup throughout the day. Aiming to keep the tickets as low as possible to ensure widespread accessibility, Gerchen explains that the price averages at around 40p per band once the final line-up is set.
“In this current climate, it’s really difficult for events,” Gerchen admits, “When I do see these big festivals book these huge headliners, I don’t blame them. These events with camping and activities do cost a lot of money to set up, and they have to book these big names to bring people through the door.
“That being said, there should be more focus on getting smaller talents to appear on lineups. These events must be inundated with thousands of applications every year, but I wish there were a more careful process. Certain festivals have these panels that are great at sifting through new talent, and as a result, do have a stake in that. For the really big ones, however, they’re always going to sell out tickets, so they could do more to offer greater opportunities for up-and-coming artists.“
“I get a real kick out of putting on a band. I don’t care if they’re going to sell a single ticket themselves because I know that I can put them in front of a great crowd that’s going to love their music. Mainstream festivals should adopt that mindset.”
Gerchen told IINAG that On The Meadows has already sold out as many tickets as last year’s overall, with Early Bird tickets selling out in March. Wanting to expand the festival year by year gradually, he has already started planning On The Meadows 2026.
“We’ve learned the hard way in terms of also trying to book acts that you have to be on the ball early,” Gerchen says, “It’s hard when your competition is some of the biggest festivals in the world. I don’t want to come in with an ego and think I can outdo these events because I don’t have that budget.”
“The festival is really about the heart and a community. It’s not a middle finger to the triple-A festivals; what it is about is showing that we can do more to support these artists. I would love On The Meadows to be London’s best-kept secret.”
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