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