Minister Patrick O'Donovan announces a €1 million Night-Time Economy Support Scheme for Grassroots Venues
- Published on: 6 March 2026
- Last updated on: 6 March 2026
- Minister to provide €1 million in funding for a fourth phase of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme which will support independent Grassroots Venues across the country
- The scheme will operate under two streams with grants available for both established and emerging venues
The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has today announced a new phase of the Night-Time Economy support scheme aimed at independent grassroots venues. The scheme is being introduced in recognition of both the contribution that grassroots music venues make to the music industry by nurturing emerging acts, and also the challenges facing these venues.
A total fund of €1 million has been allocated to the Grassroots Venue Support Scheme (GVSS) which aims to support small established venues that promote themselves and are known in the community as live performance venues that showcase emerging Irish acts or artists performing live music or comedy that they have written or created themselves.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme today at the Róisín Dubh in Galway City, Minister Patrick 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.”
Welcoming the launch of the Scheme today, Edel Curtin, Coughlan’s Cork, speaking on behalf of the Live Venue Collective said:
“We greatly welcome the announcement of the Grassroots Venue Support Scheme 2026. This is not just vital financial help for our venues; it is also an acknowledgement of the essential role our stages play in the development of Irish artists. There is a long and challenging road ahead in keeping our grassroots venues open and functioning and this support is a step in the right direction. We want to thank Minister O’Donovan for his continued commitment to support these culturally vital spaces.”
In 2025, the Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme operated with an allocation of €500k, offering grants of up to €15,000 to established venues with a proven track record of ticketing emerging artists over a two-year period. The 2026 scheme will operate in two separate funding Streams. Stream A will operate with a total fund of €800,000 and will offer 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 acts and artists. Stream B will operate with a total fund of €200,000 and grants of up to €8k will be offered to venues that demonstrate that they have in the past 12 months programmed Irish artists or acts, and that can demonstrate that they can use funding under this scheme to programme ticketed events showcasing emerging artists or acts.
Under the scheme, venues are required to ensure that all artists and freelance crew are paid. Venues may also apply for funding towards production and crew costs, PR, advertising, ticketing, the hire of equipment, the hiring of security staff and event insurance costs.
This iteration of the scheme aims to support an increased number of grassroots and live performance venues to increase vibrancy and diversity in the Night-Time Economy. This also supports the commitment in the Programme for Government to support the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme.
For further information, on eligibility criteria and allowable costs please visit the guidelines for the scheme below.
The Scheme has been developed in consultation with representatives from the Live Venue Collective, grassroots music industry, Give Us The Night and the NTE Advisors.
Applications will be assessed by a panel as part of the overall evaluation process
Guidelines for the new scheme are available here at noon today.
Applications can be made for the new scheme here from noon today.
The Scheme will remain open until noon on 30th March 2026.
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Notes to the Editor
This is a Night-Time Economy initiative in support of the work of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce and following a recommendation emerging from Action 5 in the revised Night-Time Economy Action Plan.
This grant scheme aims to support small grassroots venues to programme events showcasing early-career acts and artists in recognition of the contribution grassroots venues make to the cultural vibrancy and economy in our local communities.
This scheme will operate with a fund of €1 million and will operate under two streams. The maximum grant amount allowable will be €20,000 under stream A and €8,000 under stream B. In each case, Grantees may draw down funding for 90% of eligible costs up to a maximum of the allocated figure. The grantee will be required to self-fund the remaining 10% of eligible costs.
This scheme will provide funding for a series of events shining a spotlight on grassroots artists performing original material such as music or comedy they have written/created themselves. It is envisaged that these events will also provide employment for crew, light and sound engineering, marketing and PR, as well as increasing footfall to grassroots venues and contributing to a thriving night-time economy.
This iteration of the scheme aims to support an increased number of grassroots and live performance venues to increase vibrancy and diversity in the Night-Time Economy.
In 2025, the total fund of €500,000 supported 34 venues across 13 counties, including 17 outside major cities.
Additional criteria and conditions of funding are detailed in the Scheme’s guidelines.