News
New investment to get music venues back on track

18 May 2022

Victoria’s world-famous live music venues have received a boost from the Victorian Government to get artists back on their stages and help live music make a strong return across the state.

The Victorian Live Music Venues Support Program will provide grants to 131 venues, including Queenscliff’s iconic Blues Train and the Queenscliff Town Hall.

Since opening in 1994, the Blues Train has taken over 300,000 guests on a local heritage train trip sound-tracked by some of the region’s most talented blues and roots musicians. The funding will help the Blues Train get back on track after two challenging years.

Queenscliff Town Hall opened as a music venue last year thanks to a partnership between the Queenscliff Music Festival and the Borough of Queenscliffe Council to address a lack of live music venues in an area known for music loving audiences.

The Town Hall and Blues Train are just two of the unique venues that make up the rich tapestry of Victorian live music - other supported venues include Northcote Social Club, Cherry Bar and The Curtin Hotel.

Targeting venues with capacities of 50 to 1,200 people, the program provides grants of up to $65,000. This investment recognises the critical role music venues play in the state’s live music scene – not just setting the stage for memorable gigs but providing a vital platform for artists and employment for industry workers.  A condition of the grant is that venues must direct 40 per cent of the funding to artists.

ARIA-Award winning children's band, Teeny Tiny Stevies is just one of the Victorian acts returning to venue stages. They are taking their How to be Creative tour to venues across Victoria and around the country, and will play Queenscliff Town Hall in September.

Since the start of the pandemic the Victorian Government has provided more than $80 million in dedicated support for the music sector, including earlier tranches of the Live Music Venues Support Program.

The 2022/23 Victorian Budget continues this commitment with an additional $2.9 million to establish and strengthen regional touring circuits for live music and expand revenue streams for local artists.

In further support for live music, the government is also offering music fans a 25 per cent rebate for ticket purchases over $40 through the Victorian Entertainment Program.


Victorian Live Music Venues Support Program 2022 recipients

170 Russel, MELBOURNE $65,000

24 Moons, NORTHCOTE $40,000

303, NORTHCOTE $38,750

Alboma Pty Ltd, ECHUCA $40,000

The Athenaeum Theatre, MELBOURNE $50,000

The B.east, BRUNSWICK EAST $40,000

Ballarat Mechanics Institute, BALLARAT CENTRAL $36,125

Ballarat Trades Hall, BALLARAT CENTRAL $30,000

Bar Lulie, ABBOTSFORD $20,000

Bar Open, FITZROY $40,000

The Barwon Club Hotel, SOUTH GEELONG $50,000

Beavs Bar, GEELONG $50,000

Beleura, MORNINGTON $20,000

The Bendigo Hotel, COLLINGWOOD $50,000

Beneath Driver Lane, MELBOURNE $36,500

The Blackstump Bistro, MILDURA $65,000

Bloom, GEELONG $49,626

Blue Bar, PRAHRAN $30,000

The Blues Train, QUEENSCLIFF $39,246.53

The Bridget Hotel Castlemaine, CASTLEMAINE $40,000

Brunswick Ballroom, BRUNSWICK $40,000

The Butterfly Club, MELBOURNE $50,000

Cactus Room, THORNBURY $39,414

Cafe Gummo, THORNBURY $20,000

The Carlton Hotel, MELBOURNE $65,000

Chaser's Nightclub, SOUTH YARRA $45,000

Cherry Bar, MELBOURNE $40,000

Circus Bar, ST KILDA $40,000

The Colonial Hotel, MELBOURNE $65,000

Colour Nightclub, CARLTON $40,000

The Corner, RICHMOND $65,000

Dart & Marlin, WARNAMBOOL $40,000

Deluxe Club & Lounge, MOONEE PONDS $41,200

The Eastern, BALLARAT EAST $40,000

Eddies Bandroom, CHELTENHAM $40,000

Electric Bar, PRAHRAN $50,000

The Elwood Lounge, ELWOOD $37,500

Empire, NARRE WARREN $65,000

The Evelyn, FITZROY $50,000

Ferdydurke, MELBOURNE $40,000

The Gem Bar and Dining Room, COLLINGWOOD $39,148

George Lane St Kilda, ST KILDA $40,000

Glamorama, FITZROY $40,000

The Grace Darling, COLLINGWOOD $50,000

Grazeland, SPOTSWOOD $65,000

Haba Rye, RYE $40,000

Holy Grail, WINDSOR $40,000

Hop Temple, BALLARAT $50,000

The Horn, COLLINGWOOD $32,906

Hotel Warrnambool, WARRNAMBOOL $50,000

Hotel Westwood, FOOTSCRAY $49,000

Howler, BRUNSWICK $65,000

Inflation, MELBOURNE $45,000

The Irish Times Pub, MELBOURNE $40,000

The Jazzlab, BRUNSWICK $40,000

Jimmy O Neill's Whiskey and Alehouse, ST KILDA $40,000

The John Curtin Hotel, CARLTON $40,000

Khokolat Bar, RICHMOND $50,000

Kindred Bandroom,  YARRAVILLE $25,000

King Hotel,  MELBOURNE $50,000

La Di Da, MELBOURNE $50,000

La La Land MELBOURNE $40,000

La La Land Windsor, WINDSOR $40,000

Laundry Bar, FITZROY $40,000

The Leadbeater Hotel, RICHMOND $49,964.50

Loop, MELBOURNE $40,000

Macedon Railway Hotel, MACEDON $40,000

Mantra Studio Kitchen Bar, YARRAVILLE $40,000

Melbourne Central Lion, MELBOURNE $50,000

Melbourne Public, SOUTH WHARF $65,000

The Moldy Fig, BRUNSWICK EAST $25,632

Musicland, FAWKNER $50,000

My Aeon, BRUNSWICK $49,300

Nevermind Bar, HAWTHORN $40,000

New Guernica, COLLINGWOOD $50,000

The Night Cat, FITZROY $50,000

Nighthawks, COLLINGWOOD $34,872

Northcote Social Club, NORTHCOTE $50,000

The Northcote Theatre, NORTHCOTE $65,000

Oak Tree Tavern, THE BASIN $40,000

Odessa, CRESWICK $40,000

The Office Wine Bar and Lounge, MILDURA $50,000

One Six One, PRAHRAN $50,000

Open Studio, NORTHCOTE $40,000

The Osborne, SOUTH YARRA $50,000

Our Friends Farm Entertainment Park, TALLAROOK $65,000

The Palais Hepburn, HEPBURN SPRINGS $50,000

Piano Bar Ballarat, BALLARAT $35,000

Piano Bar Colac, COLAC $40,000

Piano Bar Geelong, GEELONG $40,000

The Pig & Whistle's Shed Theatre, MAIN RIDGE $40,000

The Pirates Tavern, WILLIAMSTOWN $40,000

Platform One, MELBOURNE $65,000

Pride of our Footscray Community Bar, FOOTSCRAY $40,000

Prince Bandroom, ST KILDA $65,000

The Queenscliff Town Hall, QUEENSCLIFF $50,000

Radio Bar, FITZROY $20,000

Ragtime Tavern, PRESTON $40,000

The Rainbow Hotel, FITZROY $40,000

The Red Hill Hotel, CHEWTON $40,000

The Toff in Town, MELBOURNE $50,000

The Retreat, BRUNSWICK $50,000

Revolver Upstairs, PRAHRAN $50,000

The Royal Hotel Mornington, MORNINGTON $65,000

The Royal Melbourne Hotel, MELBOURNE $65,000

The Sand Bar, PORTLAND $50,000

Secret Garden Bar, ST KILDA $40,000

Secret Garden Mildura, MILDURA $65,000

Section 8, MELBOURNE $40,000

Shotkickers, THORNBURY $28,150

Small Time, BRUNSWICK $37,900

Somewhere Bar, ST KILDA $40,000

Sooki Lounge, EMERALD $50,000

Spotswood Hotel, SPOTSWOOD $50,000

Stay Gold Melbourne, MELBOURNE $50,000

Sundowner Pty Ltd, (Trading as The Croxton Bandroom), COBURG $65,000

Taproom - Shedshaker Brewing, BENDIGO $20,000

Tempo Rubato, BRUNSWICK $20,000

Theatre Royal Castlemaine, CASTLEMAINE $50,000

The Third Day, NORTH MELBOURNE $64,989

The Tote, COLLINGWOOD $50,000

Transport Hotel, MELBOURNE $50,000

The Union Hotel, BRUNSWICK $40,000

Uptown Jazz Café, FITZROY $20,000

The Vine Hotel, NORTH WANGARATTA $33,500

Volta Arts & Culture, BALLARAT CENTRAL $40,000

Westernport Hotel, SAN REMO $49,923

The Workers Club Fitzroy Pty Ltd, FITZROY $50,000

Workshop, MELBOURNE $40,000

Yah Yah's, FITZROY $40,000

The Yarra Hotel, ABBOTSFORD $39,649