A €500,000 grant has been shared out between 33 music venues in Ireland.
The newly launched Grassroots Music Venues Support Scheme is a government initiative designed to ensure that small, established music venues can continue to operate and showcase the talent of emerging artists across Ireland. Among the beneficiaries of the first round of grants were Dublin venues such as Wigwam, Yamamori Tengu and The Bernard Shaw, as well as Cork spaces Dali and Connollys Of Leap.
Over 100 venues applied for the grant, covering clubs, gig venues, theatres and pubs. Those who applied were asked to demonstrate evidence of a strong track record of regularly holding ticketed grassroots music events that spotlight emerging artists performing original music during the years of 2023 and 2024.
Speaking about the initiative, Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, said: “Our grassroots music venues play a vital role in nurturing emerging musicians and providing them with an opportunity to hone their talent. It’s very important that we recognise their contribution to the music industry, particularly given the challenges these venues face.”
Find the full list of beneficiaries here.
