Govt. Commits $2.5 Million To Live Music With New Grant Scheme

Australian venues are set to benefit from $2.5 million in funding, with the Australian Government announcing a new round of grants to bolster the Live Music Australia program.

According to a press release, grants of up to $100,000 are being made available for applicants “can demonstrate their commitment to presenting original Australian music. This round of funding will focus on brick-and-mortar live music venues, after the last centred exclusively on festivals.

It’s further detailed on the Live Music Australia website that funding for eligible applicants should towards “infrastructure upgrades, purchase of equipment, programming and promotional expenses and artist fees”, or “initiatives that deliver to multiple venues and build capacity” such as “professional development programs, expanded regional touring circuits, and partnerships across venues or jurisdictions”.

Previous recipients of such grants include the Froth Craft Brewery in Exmouth, Western Australia (some 1,250km north of Perth), who used their 2022 funding to purchase a new sound system. The press release notes that because of the grant they received, they were able to start hosting large-scale outdoor events – one of which saw 1,200 punters roll out to see Xavier Rudd.

Applications for this round of grants are open now, and will close at 11:30pm AEDT on Tuesday March 12. Head here for more info on how to apply.

The Live Music Australia program comes as part of the Labor Government’s broader Revive initiative, described as a “five-year plan to renew and revive Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector”. Last month saw Tony Burke – Labor’s Minister for the Arts – reflect on the first year of the initiative, saying it’s led to some landmark breakthroughs for the entertainment industry.