€1million Night-Time Economy Support Scheme for grassroots venues introduced

A €1million Night-Time Economy Support Scheme for grassroots venues has been launched by Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan.

The scheme is being introduced in recognition of both the contribution that grassroots venues make to the music industry, as well as the challenges they're facing. It aims to support a number of live performance venues to increase vibrancy and diversity in Ireland's night-time economy.

This year's Grassroots Venue Support Scheme (GVSS) will work in two funding streams.

Stream A will operate with a total fund of €800,000, offering grants of up to €20k to established grassroots venues with a proven track record of at least two years in programming events showcasing emerging Irish artists.

Stream B will operate with a total fund of €200,000 and grants of up to €8k offered to venues that demonstrate that they have in the past 12 months programmed Irish acts.

Interested venues will also be able to apply for funding towards production and crew costs, including PR, advertising, ticketing, security, and event insurance costs.

At the launch of the scheme at Galway City's Róisín Dubh on March 6, Minister O'Donovan said:

"Grassroots venues are the lifeblood of our music scene and are so important in the development of our emerging talent and in the creation of jobs right across the creative sector.

"Supporting these important cultural hubs in our local communities ensures that the next generation of artists will still have a place to develop their careers, perform live and build their audiences at home here in Ireland".

In 2025, a total of 33 venues across the country were offered funding of up to €15,000. Revisit our story for more information here.

This year's scheme was developed in consultation with representatives from the Live Venue Collective, grassroots music industry, Give Us The Night, and the NTE Advisors.

The scheme will remain open until noon on March 30.

Find more information about the scheme here.