If you run a licensed live music venue anywhere in Victoria or operate a venue that can host live performances in outer-metropolitan or regional Victoria, the 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund can provide grants of up to $11,000 to go towards Victorian artists’ fees for gigs.
The Victorian Gig Fund is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to back 10,000 live music gigs across the state over four years. The program will create more paid opportunities for local artists and give music lovers across the state the chance to see more great local live music.
The 2025 round of the program is supporting gigs taking place from between 1 July 2025 until 1 July 2026.
Key Dates
Round opens: Thursday 30 January 2025
Round closes: 3pm, Thursday 27 February 2025
For gigs occurring between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026.
Who can apply?
The 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund program is open to:
- Victorian licensed, dedicated music venues state-wide
To apply as an operator of a licensed live music venue, the business must:
- be a legal entity and have an active Australian Business Number (ABN)
- hold and maintain appropriate insurances, including public liability insurance, and permits.
The nominated venue must:
- be located in Victoria with a demonstrated history of programming live music
- have a liquor licence that shows a venue capacity of 50-1200 people
- hold a OneMusic licence for public performance of music in that venue
- Local venues, located in outer-metropolitan and regional Victoria
To apply as an operator of a local venue (for example, a record store, bookstore, community centre, town hall, hospitality venue etc.), the business must:
- be a legal entity and have an active Australian Business Number (ABN) that has been held on and from 1 January 2022
- hold and maintain appropriate insurances, including public liability insurance and any required permits required to hold live music performances
The nominated venue must:
- be located in outer-metropolitan* or regional Victoria
- have a venue capacity of less than 1200 people demonstrated by either a liquor licence if held, or other evidence such as a floorplan, pictures of the space or other documentation – see Section 6 of the guidelines
- have a demonstrated capability to stage live performance
- have, or be in the process of obtaining, a OneMusic licence for public performance of music
Creative Victoria will only accept one application per venue, as defined by its ABN. If you run several venues with differing ABNs, you may submit an application for each venue.
Note:
- Outer metropolitan and regional Local Councils (LGAs) with eligible venues may apply for this program. Please speak to program staff before submitting an application on behalf of an LGA-run venue.
- Bookers and promoters are encouraged to work with local venues to propose a series of gigs, however the local venue must be the applicant and bookers and promoters cannot apply for this grant program.
How can I apply?
Applications for this program are now open. You can use the Application Drafting Tool below to start drafting your application responses.
10,000 Gigs: Victorian Gig Fund applications are submitted via the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions Grants Portal.
- Click here to start your application.
If you wish to work on DRAFTS, or see your SAVED APPLICATIONS, please click here to return to the Grants Portal.
Note: Applicants can only submit one application for the 2025 round.
Find general information on using the grants portal, including how to register and FAQ about the Portal.
You can access guidelines, drafting tools and the Gig Performance Plan template in the Guidelines and tools section below.
Who can I talk to?
Focus Area/Stream | Contact |
First Peoples applicants (both venue groups) | Darcy Hytt |
All other applicants | Masha Wijesiriwardana masha.wijesiriwardana@creative.vic.gov.au 03 9623 1203 Ella Mitchell ella.mitchell@ecodev.vic.gov.au 03 9623 1270 Caitlin Kavanagh caitlin.kavanagh@creative.vic.gov.au |
For help with translations, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service
Phone TIS National 131450
Visit the Translating and Interpreting website
After you apply
Once you submit your application on the Online Grants Portal you’ll receive an email acknowledgement.
You’ll be notified by email of the outcome approximately 14 weeks after the published closing date.
Successful Applications
If your funding application is successful, you’ll receive a funding agreement outlining the conditions for funding, payment information and reporting requirements.
Notification of funding outcomes
You’ll be notified by email of the outcome approximately 14 weeks after the published closing date. There’s a high level of demand for Creative Victoria funding, so we recommend that you plan for contingencies if your application is unsuccessful (e.g. other funding sources). Please don’t make commitments based on the assumption that you’ll receive funding until you’ve received written confirmation of your final funding outcome.
Funding recommendations are subject to approval by the Minister for Creative Industries. Feedback on your application is provided at Creative Victoria’s discretion and may not be available when you receive notification of your funding outcome.
Payment of grants
Program funding payments are conditional on you meeting your obligations under the Terms and Conditions, detailed in the Application form, with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, including fulfilling any payment milestone outcomes or deliverables set out by program staff.
Previous recipients
Round 1 Recipients
170 Russell, Melbourne
24 Moons, Northcote
Aireys Pub, Aireys Inlet
Alpine Hotel Warburton, Warburton
Axedale Tavern, Axedale
Bad Decisions Bar, Fitzroy
Ballarat Trades Hall, Ballarat Central
Banks Brewery, Seaford
Bar 303, Northcote
Barwon Edge, Newtown
Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads
Beavs Bar, Geelong
Beleura House and Garden, Mornington
Bells Beach Brewing, Torquay
Bergy Bandroom, Brunswick
Brunswick Ballroom, Brunswick
Bundalong Tavern, Bundalong
Cactus Room, Thornbury
Canadian Bay Hotel, Mount Eliza
Cape Horn Vineyard & Riverside Bar, Lower Moira
Carlton Club, Melbourne
Chasers Nightclub, South Yarra
Cherry Bar, Melbourne
Church St Hotel, Wodonga
Commercial Hotel Terang, Terang
Creatures of Habit Bar & Bandroom, Fitzroy
District 14 Pty Ltd, Narre Warren
Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
Exchange Hotel Kerang, Kerang
Farmers Arms Creswick, Creswick
Fifty Five, Melbourne
Forget Me Not Eatery, Greenvale
Francesca’s Bar, Northcote
Freddie Wimpoles, St Kilda
George Lane St Kilda, St Kilda
Glamorama Bar, Fitzroy
Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo
Good Land Brewing Co, Traralgon
Grampians Ale Works, Stawell
Heaven Lounge / Honey Bar, Mildura
Hendriks, Lilydale
Hickinbotham of Dromana, Dromana
High Note Space, Northcote
Hop Temple, Ballarat North
Hopheads, Point Cook
Hotel Lona, Frankston
Inflation Nightclub, Melbourne
Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat Central
Killing Time Bar, Windsor
Kindred Studios, Yarraville
Laundry Bar, Fitzroy
Lulie Tavern, Abbotsford
Mac’s Hotel, Portland
Major Tom’s, Kyneton
Mamma Chen’s, Footscray
Manchuria, Melbourne
Mansfield Hotel, Mansfield
Mantra Studio Kitchen Bar, Yarraville
Marlo Hotel, Marlo
Max Watts, Melbourne
Medusa Bar, Geelong
Minyip Hotel, Minyip
Miscellania, Melbourne
Misfits, Footscray
Musicland, Fawkner
My Aeon, Brunswick
Nevermind Bar, Hawthorn
Nighthawks, Collingwood
Oak Tree Tavern, The Basin
Ocean Grove Hotel, Ocean Grove
Odessa at Leavers Hotel, Creswick
Open Studio Venue, Northcote
Paynesville Wine Bar, Paynesville
Peninsula Beer Garden, Boneo
Piano off Pier, Altona
Piano on Chapel, Windsor
Piano on Evans, Sunbury
Piano on High, Northcote
Platform 3095, Eltham
Platform One, Melbourne
Pockets Moorabbin, Moorabbin
Pockets Tullamarine, Tullamarine
Prince Alfred Hotel, Port Melbourne
Queenscliff Brewhouse, Queenscliff
Queenscliff Town Hall, Queenscliff
Ragtime Tavern, Preston
Railway Hotel Pakenham, Pakenham
Rochford Concert Lounge, Coldstream
Rumours Nightclub, Mildura
Shedshaker Taproom, Castlemaine
Shiraz Republic, Comella
Shotkickers, Thornbury
Star Hotel Echuca, Echuca
Studio 185, Werribee
The Barwon Club Hotel, South Geelong
The Black Bee Craft Beer & Wine Bar, Belgrave
The Blackstump Bistro, Mildura
The Blues Train, Queenscliff
The Boite, Box Hill
The Clam, Lorne
The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine
The Corporate Moose, Mildura
The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham
The Deck Est.2013, Frankston
The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne
The Eastern, Ballarat
The Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North
The Flywheel Bar & Café, Beaufort
The Gem Bar & Dining Room, Collingwood
The General, Mt Hotham
The Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood
The Greendale Pub, Greendale
The Heritage Balnarring, Balnarring
The JazzLab, Brunswick
The Lost Cowe, Phillip Island, Cowes
The Merri Creek Tavern, Northcote
The Motley Bauhaus, Carlton
The Night Cat, Fitzroy
The Old Bar, Fitzroy
The Osborne Rooftop and Bar, South Yarra
The Pig & Whistle, Main Ridge
The Post Office Hotel, Coburg
The Quiet Man Irish Pub, Kensington
The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
The Rooks Return, Fitzroy
The Royal Hotel, Bacchus Marsh
The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy
The Thornbury Local, Thornbury
The Tote Hotel, Collingwood
The Travellers Rest Hotel, Thorpdale
The Vineyard, St Kilda
The Workers Club, Fitzroy
Theatre Royal Castlemaine, Castlemaine
Tom Katz Live Music, Sorrento
Two Buoys, Dromana
Union Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick
Uptown Jazz Café, Fitzroy
Upwey Belgrave RSL, Upwey
Vine Hotel Wangaratta, North Wangarratta
Volta Ballarat, Ballarat Central
Welshpool Hotel, Welshpool
Westernport Hotel, San Remo
Workshop Bar, Melbourne
Yah Yahs, Fitzroy