10,000 Gigs: Victorian Gig Fund 2025 supports Victorian venues to attract artists and provide more gigs to audiences, particularly in regional Victoria and outer metropolitan Melbourne.

The program aims to grow the Victorian live music scene by boosting both income and gig opportunities for Victorian musicians, increasing their live performance experience and capability and exposing them to new audiences, and by supporting venues to grow their audience base and profile.

10,000 Gigs: Victorian Gig Fund 2025 aims to achieve the following end-of-program outcomes:

• Musicians are generating an income from performing live music

• Musicians are gaining more experience from playing live music at gigs and are more capable live music performers

• More music audiences are engaging with and listening to more diverse Victorian artists

• Musicians and venues are growing their audience base and their profile across Victoria

• Music creators are generating income from gigs through increasing live performance royalties payable to composers by APRA AMCOS

This program supports the following longer-term outcomes:

• There is a sustainable supply chain of live music to a wider range of audiences

• More Victorians are participating in live music across the state

• More musicians are able to sustain a music career

In both groups, you can apply for one of two grant amounts:

• $5,500 (excl. GST)  to present 10 gigs. A minimum of $5,000 should go to artist fees, with the additional $500 provided to assist with overhead costs i.e. event set-up, marketing and promotion

• or $11,000 (excl. GST) to present 20 gigs. A minimum of $10,000 should go to artist fees, with the additional $1,000 provided to assist with overhead costs i.e. event set-up, marketing and promotion

Gigs must take place between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026. Venues can determine their own programming plan (refer to Section 3.1 of the Program Guidelines) but must meet the minimum number of gigs (at least 10 or 20 as per funding amount).

All applicants will be advised on the outcome of their application approximately 14 weeks from the closing date.

This round supports activities commencing from 1 July 2025 and onwards. Your gigs must finish within 12 months of this date.

You will receive a Notice of Acceptance if your application is successful.

The payment schedule and any relevant funding deliverable/milestones are outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the Application Form.

Once the Notice of Acceptance is received it is the responsibility of the recipient to acknowledge receipt as their acceptance of the conditions of the grant (i.e accepted by the recipient and Creative Victoria). Once this has been completed and you have satisfied any conditions of funding, the grant payment will be made.

There are two eligibility groups for this program.

• Group 1: Licensed Live Music Venues (State-wide)

• Group 2: Local Venues (Outer-metro and Regional Victoria only)

To check if you are eligible to apply through one of these groups please refer to the Section 2.1 - Am I eligible? In the Program Guidelines.

Please note: the person making the application must be an authorised representative of the venue. This means a person who is authorised to enter into contracts for and on behalf of the organisation. For example, for companies, this should be a director, and for associations, this should be a committee member.

Bookers and promoters cannot apply for this grant program. Bookers and promoters are encouraged to work with local venues to propose a series of gigs, however the local venue must be the applicant.

If you are an operator of a local venue (for example, a record store, bookstore, community centre, town hall, hospitality venue etc.) in outer metropolitan Melbourne or regional Victoria you can apply to the Victorian Gig Fund through the Group 2 eligibility group. Please check the Group 2 requirements within Section 2 of the Program Guidelines to ensure you have the correct ABN status and appropriate licenses to host gigs.

If you operate a venue that is not a dedicated live music performance space and is located in metropolitan Melbourne, unfortunately you are not eligible for this program.

Venues that receive revenue directly from electronic gaming machines as defined under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 (Vic) are not eligible to apply through this program.

• Venues which have already received State Government funding (including via agencies) for the gigs that they are applying for are not eligible to apply.

Additionally, venues that receive multi-year funding from the State Government are not eligible to apply. If you are a current recipient of the following Creative Victoria programs/rounds, you are not eligible to apply:

• Creative Enterprises Program

• Regional Partnerships Program

• Active Creative Ventures Program recipients (speak to program staff if you’re unsure).

Previous grant recipients of other Creative Victoria programs are eligible to apply, provided they:

• Do not have an overdue Creative Victoria (or former Arts Victoria) acquittal

• Meet the eligibility criteria of the Victorian Gig Fund program

• Are not applying for funding for the same project/activity that has previously been funded.

Individuals are not eligible to apply for the Victorian Gig Fund. Applicants must be a venue which is a legal entity and holds an active Australian Business Number (ABN). A sole trader is not a separate legal entity.

Please see Section 2 of the Program Guidelines for further information.

If your Music Works or Creative Projects Fund application is for a separate activity, and you fulfil all eligibility requirements for the Victorian Gig Fund, you are eligible to apply.

Please note: applicants can only submit one application to either Music Works 2025 or Creative Projects Fund 2025. These programs have very different eligibility requirements and aims to the Victorian Gig Fund, so ensure you thoroughly read the Program Guidelines and check your eligibility prior to applying.

No. Demand for Creative Victoria project funding is high, and this will be an extremely competitive program to enter. Applicants must not assume they will be successful or enter into commitments based on that assumption before receiving formal notification of the outcome of their funding. Nor should applicants assume that if they are successful once, they will be successful again in the future.

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.

Yes, as above, if you run several separate venues with differing ABNs, you may submit an application for each venue.

Creative Victoria will not consider funding for activity or costs incurred prior to 1 July 2025. You should not enter into any arrangements or make any payments on the assumption you will receive support for activity prior to this date. As per Creative Victoria’s general eligibility, an application will be ineligible if it relates to activity that has already taken place or will occur prior to 1 July 2025.

• Gigs supported through the Victorian Gig Fund must be performed by Victorian artists. For bands or groups performing, the majority of members must be based in Victoria. Applying venues must be based in Victoria.

This program’s aim is not to provide business support. LaunchVic’s website has information and resources for start-ups. For business support, please refer to Business Victoria’s website.

You can apply through a dedicated application link available on the Victorian Gig Fund webpage whilst the program is open. Instructions on how to apply, what to include with your application, and eligibility information can be found in the Program Guidelines, also available on the program webpage. Please read through this document as it contains important information to ensure your application is eligible and suitable for the program.

The application questions provide Creative Victoria and the external music industry peer endorsers with further context to your application and your planned gigs. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that your venue is best placed to host these gigs and meet the program outcome and objectives of the Victorian Gig Fund.

The application questions are:

• How does the venue support live music performance?

• Please refer to Assessment Criteria 1: Capability to Deliver in the Program Guidelines when formulating your response

• Tell us about your gig performance plan?

• Please refer to Assessment Criteria 2 in the Program Guidelines when formulating your response

There is a 2000 character limit for each application question, including spaces and punctuation. You can use the Application Drafting Tool, available on the program webpage, to draft your responses to the questions.

Applicants will be asked to provide, where possible, the name of artists/acts and/or categories of acts they wish to use the funding for. If your venue is yet to confirm all acts then please indicate the categories/genre of the acts you wish to engage and indicative dates. Gig performances must:

• be live music acts performed at the nominated venue

• be Victorian musicians (or with the majority of act members being based in Victoria)

• take place between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026

• provide paid performance opportunities for the artists in line with the minimum rate of $250 (excl. GST) per performer.

Multiple gigs/performances can take place over a single event.

For the purpose of this fund, the term Gig refers to one performance opportunity or act. Please note that you can apply to either present 10 or 20 gigs. See Section 3 of the Program Guidelines to see further detail on the two grant amount you can apply for.

You must adhere to a minimum fee of $250 (excluding GST) per performer, per gig. You may determine your own performance payments, but must fulfil this minimum $250/performer requirement to be eligible through this program.

If you’re planning on presenting more than 20 gigs between 1 July 2025 and 1 July 2026, you can opt in to be considered for a second tranche of funding (applicable to both licensed and local venues) to support an additional 20 gigs. Creative Victoria will provide more information on the second tranche of funding following the outcome of the applications for the first tranche of funding.

There are two sets of required documents for this round of the Victorian Gig Fund, they are;

• Gigs Performance Plan (required) 

Please use the Gigs Performance Plan drafting tool available on the program webpage. This document outlines your proposed gigs, timeline and payment rates.

• Licensing documents (required)

• For licensed venues: Current liquor licence and red line plan 
  Electronic copies of these documents can be downloaded through your Liquor Portal account.

• For unlicensed venues: Documentation indicating venue permits and capacity e.g. permits, photos of venue, floorplans, temporary liquor license (if held at time of application)

• Current OneMusic licence, or evidence of application to get a licence, where required to meet eligibility

A separate budget, timeline or letters of support are not required for this application.

Check Section 7.2 Additional Support Material in the Program Guidelines for other documentation you can choose to attach to your application if relevant.

Your venue capacity may be listed on your liquor license, planning permit or red-line plan if you have them. Electronic copies can be downloaded for free through your Liquor Portal account.

If these documents don’t have a patron capacity, you can use your red line plan and a measurement of one (1) person per 0.75 square metres of your licensed area.

For local venues who don’t have a red-line plan, you can base your capacity on the calculation above and attach a floorplan or pictures of the space as evidence.

If you have a permanent licence, you can download a copy of your licence and red line plan from Liquor Control Victoria’s Liquor Portal. Once logged in, go to eLicence on the left side menu and then ‘Actions’, then ‘View licence’ and ‘View plan’.

If your licence isn’t in this list, you will need to link it to your account. See Liquor Control Victoria’s liquor portal registration guide.

If you have been granted a temporary limited licence, a copy of it will have been emailed to you by Liquor Control Victoria. It cannot be found on the liquor portal. If your temporary limited licence also has a red line plan, it will be attached to the same email

One of the key guiding principles of the Creative State 2025 strategy is First Peoples First. We are committed to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 11 guiding principles of Aboriginal Self-Determination as identified in the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018-23.

Applicants must follow correct protocols when working with First Peoples artists, activity and/or communities. Please refer to Creative Australia’s (previously Australia Council) Protocols For Using First Nations Cultural And Intellectual Property In The Arts. In particular, the project checklist (pages 168 to 172) can be used as a resource to guide considerations when engaging with First Peoples content, creatives and cultural heritage.

For the protection of First Peoples arts practice from misappropriation, moral and copyright infringement, appropriate documentation must be submitted if you propose to work with First Peoples stories/cultural material that is not your own, such as letters of confirmation from the First Peoples you are working with and protocols you will put in place to ensure cultural safety.

Applications from non-First Peoples applicants that contain ICIP or collaborations may also be reviewed by a First Peoples cultural protocol review panel. Activity that does not follow or demonstrate correct protocols will not be supported.

Please use the below as a guide of the types of supporting documentation you need to provide:

• the budget amount allocated for First Peoples collaboration or engagement (at the minimum rate of $250 per musician)

• Letters of confirmation from First Peoples collaborators / communities (two pages)

For organisations/as appropriate:

• Cultural safety protocol strategies.

• First Peoples community engagement plans

If you have questions or wish to discuss further, please contact program staff listed on the program webpage.

Grants paid by Creative Victoria may be considered part of your income in a financial year and may therefore be subject to tax. You will need to determine your own taxation responsibilities.

You can apply for a OneMusic License for music performance on the OneMusic website.  If you have not attained a OneMusic License at the time of applying, it is sufficient to provide evidence of your application for one (for example, confirmation of your form submission, email confirmation, etc.)

The application form will set out the grant conditions that apply to the Recipient’s project and use of the grant funds. All applicants must agree to these grant conditions when submitting their application.

If there are any additional grant conditions or ‘milestones’ you will need to complete, program staff will contact you directly.

At the end of your funded period, you must submit an acquittal which provides information about the outcomes of your funding. The requirements for Victorian Gig Fund 2025 acquittal reports include:

1. a signed statutory declaration attesting appropriate use of funds and adherence to the minimum $250/performer payment of artists, including by providing a breakdown of the number of performers per gig and amounts paid per performer

2. a description of your project and how it met your objectives

3. an evaluation of the impact of your project, including information like attendance figures, community impact and creative outcomes

4. supporting documentation, including reviews, photos, recordings etc.

5. feedback on the Creative Victoria program

6. Acquittals reports must be completed and submitted within 30 days of activity completion.

During and after your funded period, you are required to participate in a program evaluation. You may be asked to provide information about your funded activity and any longer-term outcomes that may inform the evaluation of the program.

We acknowledge that in getting funding right, we need to make sure there is diversity in the process from inception to delivery.

Creative Victoria is working with industry representatives to ensure there is diverse representation in the applications that are funded.

We will also be reaching out to a broad range of organisations to promote the program and to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds including applicants who are First Peoples, Deaf and Disabled, women, LGBTQIA+ and from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.