The Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has announced a new phase of the Night Time Economy Support Scheme, allocating €1 million to support grassroots live performance venues across Ireland.
The Grassroots Venue Support Scheme (GVSS) 2026 aims to strengthen independent venues that provide a platform for emerging Irish artists. These venues play a critical role in the development of Ireland’s music and comedy talent pipeline and contribute significantly to the cultural and economic life of towns and cities nationwide.
The announcement was made at Róisín Dubh in Galway, a well known venue that has long supported live performance and emerging talent.
Funding Increased for 2026
The 2026 scheme represents an expansion on previous years. In 2025, the programme operated with a total fund of €500,000, supporting 34 venues across 13 counties, including 17 venues located outside major cities. For 2026, the allocation has increased to €1 million, with funding delivered through two separate grant streams.
Stream A – Established Grassroots Venues
- Total funding available: €800,000
- Maximum grant: up to €20,000
- Eligibility: venues with a minimum two year track record programming events that showcase emerging Irish artists or acts.
Stream B – Emerging or Developing Venues
- Total funding available: €200,000
- Maximum grant: up to €8,000
- Eligibility: venues that have programmed Irish artists within the past 12 months and can demonstrate plans to present ticketed events featuring emerging acts.
Successful applicants may use funding to support a range of event related costs including:
- artist and crew payments
- sound and lighting engineering
- production costs
- PR and marketing
- advertising and ticketing
- equipment hire
- security staff
- event insurance
Venues must ensure that all artists and freelance crew involved in supported events are paid.
Grants will cover up to 90 percent of eligible costs, with venues required to provide the remaining 10 percent match funding.
Supporting Ireland’s Night Time Economy
Announcing the scheme, Minister O’Donovan highlighted the importance of grassroots venues in sustaining Ireland’s live performance ecosystem. He stated that grassroots venues are “the lifeblood of our music scene” and play an essential role in providing opportunities for emerging artists to perform, develop audiences and build sustainable careers within Ireland. The scheme forms part of the Government’s Night Time Economy Action Plan, supporting the work of the Night Time Economy Taskforce and broader efforts to enhance vibrancy, diversity and economic activity in Ireland’s evening and late night cultural life.
Industry Reaction
The scheme has been welcomed by venue operators and representatives of the live music community.
Speaking on behalf of the Live Venue Collective, Edel Curtin of Coughlan’s in Cork described the programme as an important recognition of the role grassroots venues play in developing Irish talent and sustaining cultural infrastructure.
While acknowledging the ongoing challenges facing small venues, she described the funding as a positive step towards supporting culturally vital performance spaces across the country.
Applications Now Open
Applications for the Grassroots Venue Support Scheme 2026 opened at 12 noon on 6 March 2026 and will remain open until 12 noon on 30 March 2026.
- Further information for the new scheme is available here.
- Guidelines for the new scheme are available here at noon today.
- Applications can be made for the new scheme here from noon today.
Applications will be assessed by an independent panel as part of the evaluation process.
The scheme was developed in consultation with representatives from the Live Venue Collective, Give Us The Night, members of the grassroots music community and the Government’s Night Time Economy Advisors.
The Role of Grassroots Venues in the Events Industry
Grassroots venues form a critical part of Ireland’s wider events industry infrastructure, providing the early stage performance environments where artists develop their craft and audiences discover new talent. They also generate employment for event professionals including technicians, production crews, promoters, security staff and marketing teams, while contributing to local economic activity through increased footfall in towns and city centres. Ensuring the sustainability of these venues remains an important component of maintaining Ireland’s live performance ecosystem and supporting the continued growth of the country’s creative industries.
EIAI Perspective: Supporting the Full Live Music Delivery Pipeline
The Event Industry Association of Ireland welcomes continued Government recognition of the importance of grassroots venues within Ireland’s cultural landscape. However, as highlighted during recent discussions at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, strengthening Ireland’s live music ecosystem requires investment across the full event delivery pipeline.
While support for artists and venues is essential, the sustainability of the live performance ecosystem also depends on the operational infrastructure that enables events to take place safely and efficiently. This includes promoters, event production teams, freelance technical crew, licensing systems, insurance frameworks and local authority permitting processes. Without a functioning event delivery infrastructure, the ability of venues to programme events and of artists to perform is significantly constrained. As the Night Time Economy strategy continues to evolve, a broader policy approach that supports event organisers, promoters and the wider events industry workforce will be essential to ensuring that grassroots venues and emerging artists can continue to thrive across Ireland.
