Live music venues nationwide will receive $2.5 million under a new round of funding from the Australian Government’s Live Music Australia program.
The latest funding follows a previous $20 million over four years that’s assisted live music venues and festivals in metro, regional and remote Australia, ensuring that punters from all corners of the country can enjoy live music.
With the $2.5 million, 60 projects will benefit from grants, which in turn will assist 74 live music venues in all states and territories of the country.
The new round of funding will benefit venues from around the country, including metro spaces such as Melbourne’s The Tote, Sydney’s The Townie, Brisbane’s The Brightside, and Perth’s The Rosemount, and regional locations such as the Twyford Theatre & Hall in Merimbula, NSW, the Darwin Community Arts, and Valentino Safe Co, located in Lilydale, Tasmania.
When the money is stated to go to venues, it’s going to essential upgrades that will boost them and help staff in those spaces. Grants will be used to improve sound and lighting equipment, pay artist fees, train staff, market, and assist with production costs.
You can find the complete list of grant recipients on the Live Music Australia website.
In a statement, the federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the Albanese Labor Government continues to recognise the importance of our live music scene.
“It’s no secret the live music sector is facing real challenges right now, and more investment is needed,” Burke said.
That’s why, Burke added, the federal government recently announced $8.6 million for 2024-25 in the Revive Live program in the Federal Budget.
That funding is set to “provide essential support” to live music venues and festivals that commit to showcasing talented acts from Australia.
Burke added, “Importantly, we’re also looking at ways to support the long-term sustainability of the sector, so more Australians get along to gigs and experience our world-class live music scene first-hand, well into the future.”
Earlier this year, The Music’s Stephen Green broke down what the Australian music industry would receive in the 2024/25 budget. Here’s what’s coming to music and arts:
$115.2 million to Australia’s eight national arts training organisations
$14.5 million to support the production of Australian children’s screen content
$9.3 million to expand and enhance the National Film and Sound Archive’s capacity to store highly flammable nitrate-based cultural heritage material belonging to our national collecting institutions. These historically significant films and photographic negatives are currently at risk of being lost.
$8.6 million for the Revive Live program to provide essential support to live music venues and festivals showcasing Australian bands and artists – to ensure the long-term sustainability of the live music sector.
$5.2 million to expand and develop the Canberra and Darwin symphony orchestras.
