A raft of major artists including Post Malone, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown received some $200 million in payouts from a government-backed scheme intended to provide “emergency assistance” to US live entertainment businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In December 2020, the US Congress passed the Save Our Stages bill to provide around US$15bn in Small Business Administration grants to independent music venues, museums, booking agencies, movie theatres and other institutions.

However, a new report from Insider revealed that a number of world-renowned artists – some of whom are not from the US – were awarded grants of up to $10m while, reportedly, the maximum relief money many venue owners received was $100,000.

Artists that reportedly benefited from the grants include Chris Brown ($10m), Steve Aoki ($9.9m), Lil Wayne ($8.9m),  The Smashing Pumpkins ($8.6m), Vampire Weekend ($8.3m), Korn ($5.3m), Melissa Etheridge ($3.9m), Usher ($3.1m), Common ($2.8m), Portugal. The Man ($2.25m), Becky G ($2.2m), Leann Rimes ($2m), Nickelback ($2m), Father John Misty ($1.7m) and Slipknot ($1m) for their music festival, Knotfest.

The report notes that many of these artists own or may have owned businesses or corporations that could qualify for such grants, such as Aoki’s corporation, DJ Kid Millionaire Touring Inc., which reported four full-time employees on its application for a $71,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

Industry sources contacted by Insider defended the programme, pointing out that many artists typically contract with hundreds of sound and lighting technicians, costumers, drivers, security personnel, and other freelancers when they put together a tour. All those contractors were out of work during the lockdowns, the sources said, and artists applying for grants could have used the money to help keep them afloat. But there was no requirement that they spend the money that way.

An anonymous live music professional close to the programme told IQ, “Unlike the PPP, you do have to attribute costs to a specific cause, so [successful grant applications] have to show that the money was spent in accordance with the grant.”

A number of world-renowned artists – some of whom are not from the US – were awarded grants of up to $10m

The programme’s oversight of contractors was addressed by behemoths of the live music industry, who formed a coalition to petition the US government to expand the Save Our Stages act to include live event workers.

While it is unclear which artists applied for grants themselves, it may have been done by a third party, as the article notes: “A single financial-management firm in Los Angeles [NKSFB, which represents artists including Post Malone, Chris Brown, Steve Aoki, Marshmello, and Lil Wayne] successfully submitted grants on behalf of 97 artists, venues, and managers, amounting to more than a quarter of a billion dollars in grant payouts.”

The report also notes that two businesses partly owned by veteran manager Irving Azoff, whose firm’s clients include the Eagles, Lizzo, Harry Styles, and Gwen Stefani, together received $17.5m from the programme.

Similarly, venues affiliated with Live Nation, which was specifically stated to be excluded from Save Our Stages, received some $19m in funding from the programme, according to Variety last year, though a rep told Insider that the company has “no ability to control whether its subsidiaries access aid programmes”.

Today’s news comes a year after more than 60 lawsuits were filed against the Small Business Administration by companies who said they were unfairly denied millions in relief.

According to the aggrieved venues, SBA has refused their requests without good reason or a proper explanation, putting particular companies at a huge disadvantage over rivals who have received aid. Attorneys involved in the cases claim that rates of refusal under SVOG “significantly exceed typical government grant programmes.”

A spokesperson for the SBA told Insider: “The programme helped save thousands of entertainment venues and operators across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nearly half the grant money went to businesses with fewer than five full-time employees, the smallest of small businesses.”

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The 15th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses was published in IQ 114 this month, revealing 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business.

To get to know this year’s cohort a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2022’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Catch up on the previous New Bosess 2022 interview with Benji Fritzenschaft from DreamHaus here. The series continues with Clara Cullen, venue support manager at Music Venue Trust (UK).

Clara Cullen is the venue support manager at Music Venue Trust (MVT). She joined MVT in 2017 as a part-time administrator and this year is marking five years working at the charity. Alongside her work at MVT, she has worked as an arts production assistant at Festival Republic, involved on festivals such as Latitude and Reading & Leeds; a promoter rep at the grassroots level; and various artist liaison roles within the live music industry. Since 2017, Cullen’s role at MVT has developed, and she now manages the organisation’s Emergency Response Service, as well as providing support on MVT’s policy and advocacy work.

The Emergency Response Service has proved invaluable over the past couple of years. What is your favourite success story from the ERS efforts?
Getting to help venue operators when they’re facing challenges that might close their venues down can be quite an intense experience, and you end up forming lasting relationships. One of the people that comes to mind is the wonderful Pauline Forster who owns and runs the iconic George Tavern in London. Over the years, Pauline has fought an immense battle to save the venue against threats of redevelopment. She was one of the first people I met when I joined Music Venue Trust and is a total legend in the grassroots scene. Being a small part in the story of the George Tavern and helping ensure the venue survives is something I am proud of. Pauline’s spirit encapsulates the creativity, chaos, and courage that can be found in venue operators up and down the country.

Your work at MVT has put you in the spotlight on TV and even lecturing students. How do you prepare for such daunting assignments?
I have always been impressed by people who have a deep understanding of their field but are able to present themselves in a way that feels natural and off-the-cuff. That is a style that I am striving for but I think will come with some more practice and experience. I am also a big believer in knowing the basic points you want to make and then allowing for spontaneity to see where the situation takes you.

In terms of prep, first I try to always say ‘yes’ to these types of challenges because whilst I do find interviews and larger presentations daunting, by placing myself into these situations, I’ve become more familiar with their setup and actually started to enjoy them. I also lean heavily on the team at Music Venue Trust who are absolute pros. I am very fortunate to be able to draw upon their expertise, experiences, and advice.

Finally, I always remember that first and foremost my job is to represent the views and needs of Grassroots Music Venues whether that be to the government, students, or the general public. I tend to have a general idea of the points I want to make, sense-check them by running them past the team who have years of experience in the sector, and then try to leave room to just enjoy the process.

“I think much of MVT’s success stems from the fact that the organisation has always been very proactive”

I believe you studied history and politics at university. Are there any lessons from your studies that have been useful in your career?
I spent time at university learning about movements such as the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and Poland’s Solidarity campaign, which were grassroots initiatives. Learning about those campaigns rooted me in an early understanding that if you wanted to make meaningful change doing so at a grassroots level could be genuinely impactful. As a lesson, it’s something I draw meaning from, and I like to think that Music Venue Trust’s unofficial motto of ‘The people who say it can’t be done should get out of the way of the people doing it’ is a bit of a tip of the hat to that type of spirit.

MVT’s success in the UK has been fantastic. What advice could you give to people in other countries when it comes to helping the grassroots venue sector?
I think much of MVT’s success stems from the fact that the organisation has always been very proactive and this comes from the leadership of MVT’s CEO and Founder Mark Davyd setting that direction.

Since the pandemic, we have had more and more conversations with people from different countries who are interested in setting up organisations similar to Music Venue Trust. As one of MVT’s first full-time members of staff, it’s been really rewarding to see the recognition of grassroots music venues growing in the UK and spreading around the world. Taking a look back over the last few years, the advice I would give to anyone wanting to help venues in a similar way to MVT is to have an authentic understanding of the venues you are representing, a clear view on the challenges they face, the ability to react decisively to changing events and then the statistical data to evidence the arguments you wish to make. If you have those things, you can make a big impact.

As for live music fans wanting to help, this is a very practical thing: go to one more gig a month at a grassroots venue than you are currently doing. Doing this would have a substantial impact on the economics of the sector and its longer-term resilience. It comes down to a ‘use it or lose it’ mindset, go to your local grassroots music venue and take a risk on a band or artist you don’t know because they may just end up being your next all-time favourite act.

“At the moment, things continue to feel very unsettled for the grassroots music venue sector”

As a new boss, what one thing would you change to make the live music industry a better place?
I think as an industry we have a duty of care to make sure that the artists, crews, and venue staff we all work with are supported when experiencing issues with addiction and poor mental health. The fallout from addiction and the immense pressure that people are put under in this industry is something I have seen impact friends.

I read Ian Winwood’s fantastic book Bodies: Life and Death in Music and it underlined how the live music industry can at once be incredibly seductive and toxic. It starts with the acceptance that our industry is one of the only industries where alcohol is often more readily available than food. It shouldn’t therefore come as a surprise that this near-constant access leads to high levels of dependency in our industry. Recognising this as a fact and taking a pragmatic approach to how to deal with this in a compassionate way would be a start.

I think it starts with accepting that people working in the industry should be allowed to do what they want, we’re adults, and at the same time recognising our industry isn’t a passive actor in all of this. I think if there was an industry-accepted standard for alcohol provision, particularly on riders and at award shows, more non-alcoholic options and a wider adoption of initiatives such as The Loop, then it would go a long way in moving the industry into a kinder, more empathetic, and supportive place. These things to me seem like reasonable, sensible, and achievable steps that would make the industry a better place.

“I don’t think Mark Davyd will have any issue with me openly saying I am coming for his job!”

What has been the biggest challenge for you and the MVT team now that venues doors are once again open, post-pandemic?
At the moment, things continue to feel very unsettled for the grassroots music venue sector, which is a challenge for MVT. The increasing costs of living, in particular energy prices, have already had a number of direct effects upon venues and a wider impact upon key suppliers, stakeholders, and audiences. I think any talk of recovery in the live music industry is premature. The next few years will be focused on stabilising the grassroots music venue sector.

In the longer-term, the biggest challenge that the sector faces comes down to the issue of ownership. 93% of grassroots music venues are owned by landlords. The desire of venue operators and that of landlords are often in opposition. In order to ensure that grassroots music venues are here for decades to come, Music Venue Trust wants to address the issue of ownership of grassroots music venues. The Own Our Venues campaign that we launched is an attempt to solve this issue and ensure that grassroots music venues are placed into cultural protection so that their long-term future is secure.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?
I don’t think Mark Davyd will have any issue with me openly saying I am coming for his job!

What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
Watching Music Venue Trust patron Frank Turner perform on 19 July 2021 at The Clapham Grand. It was Frank’s first full band show after the government had lifted the Covid-19 restrictions. I was there with the Music Venue Trust team, in the venue’s Royal Box, which was surreal, and it felt like the show we had all been working so hard to get back to after what had been a truly relentless period of crisis management. During that period, it wasn’t at all certain that shows like this would happen again. Frank has lyrics in his song The Next Storm that go “rejoice, rebuild, the storm has passed” and when he sang it that night I burst into tears. It was the culmination of all the work MVT had been doing and so to get to a place where shows could happen again felt like a personal highlight.

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Hundreds of venues in the UK have pledged not to take any commission on artists’ merchandise sold at concerts, thanks to a campaign launched by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC).

In January, the FAC launched a public database of music venues that charge zero commission on the sale of merchandise.

The ‘100% Venues’ directory aims to address the “outdated and unfair” practice of performance spaces taking a cut of acts’ merch proceeds at gigs.

Since January, the database has garnered more than 400 entries, ranging from grassroots clubs through to 3,000-capacity halls.

The Barbican Centre (London), The Louisiana (Bristol), The Leadmill (Sheffield) and Deaf Institute (Manchester) are among the hundreds of ‘100% Venues’.

“The relationship between artists and venues represents one of the most important partnerships in the music ecosystem,” says David Martin, CEO, FAC.

“These 100% Venues are leading the way, enabling artists to take home 100% of merchandise revenue. This makes selling merchandise at gigs worthwhile for artists, creating a fairer and more sustainable touring circuit, particularly for grassroots and emerging talent.”

“That merchandise is the difference between breaking even or losing money”

And while Martin agrees that the progress is encouraging, he says that more work is required to help emerging artists break through after the hurdles caused by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to NME, he said: “The discussion regarding punitive fees on merchandise sales is now very much a public one, with fans increasingly voicing their displeasure at such practices.

“The true scale of the problem is hard to say, but almost every artist that we talk to about it says, ‘Yeah, that really pisses me off. It has been prevalent for a very long time.

“What is absolutely clear is that, particularly at support band level, it’s still a matter of acts being told, ‘Come and play for no expenses and £50’. That merchandise is the difference between breaking even or losing money.”

He continued: “We’re seeing now that fans are finding out that this happens, and they hate it. It really annoys them that the money that they’re spending isn’t going to the artist as they thought.”

The campaign has draw support from the likes of The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess, as well as Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order, who says: “You’re treated like gods in the dressing room and then robbed blind on the merchandise stall. I fully support this campaign and have been very vocal about this injustice to artists and fans for years. I fail to understand why these charges are so high?”

Venue bosses can sign up to the 100% Venues campaign by completing a one-minute form and the FAC is encouraging acts to share the spreadsheet with their fanbase and the wider music community. You can find more information here.

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The Ukrainian live music industry is stepping up to provide humanitarian, logistical and military support while Russia continues its all-out assault of the country.

The teams behind venues, festivals and promoters in Ukraine are playing an important role in settling refugees, providing meals for troops, preventing the spread of misinformation, collecting essentials and donating funds towards the military.

Faine Misto, a rock and metal festival that typically takes place in August in Ternopil, western Ukraine, is doing a little of everything.

According to Faine Misto’s Veronika Grass, one of the key things the organisers are doing is taking part in the “information war”.

“There’s a lot of fake news about the real situation in Ukraine, so we find false information, send reports and make sure that the world knows the truth,” she tells IQ.

“There’s a lot of fake news, so we find false information, send reports, make sure that the world knows the truth”

The organisers are also staying in contact with foreign bands that have previously performed at the festival, asking them to share truthful information and links to official funds.

In addition, the festival’s website has been completely reformatted to signpost links to funds, contacts of shelters, basic emergency numbers, locations of bomb shelters, medical care and more.

On a practical level, the festival has made a number of donations to the territorial defence including walkie-talkies, raincoats and backpacks.

At the beginning of this week, the festival’s concert agency arm and Ukrainian act Grandma’s Smuzi donated 326,000 hryvnias (€10,000) from ticket sales for the band’s upcoming tour.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the team behind Respublica, a free international art and music festival that typically takes place in Kamianets-Podilskyi, western Ukraine, are turning their efforts towards arming the country’s military.

“We weave nets for the territorial defence and look for ammunition for our guys in the Armed Forces and TRO”

“We weave nets for the territorial defence of the city and look for ammunition for our guys in the Armed Forces and TRO, provide humanitarian aid, and Molotov cocktails. We’re trying to create and accept any support that will help our fighters and migrants,” a spokesperson tells IQ.

The team is also engaged in the settlement of refugees from different cities, including Bakotí and Kamianets-Podílsʹkomu.

Settling refugees has become a major part of the live industry’s support during the war, as more and more Ukrainians migrate.

The UN estimates at least 160,000 people in Ukraine who have fled the war are displaced within their own country, while one million civilians have fled the country altogether.

Kyiv Contemporary Music Days (KCMD), an NGO educational and concert platform for classical contemporary music, has asked its network of artists around Europe if they will host those in need.

“I reached out to our network of artists and asked them if they would host a person in need of asylum”

“On the first day of the war, I reached out to our network of artists and asked them if they would host a person in need of asylum. Artists in Austria, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Turkey and Italy said yes,” Albert Saprykin from KCMD tells IQ.

Alive Art Center (AAC), in Uzhgorod in western Ukraine, is also pitching in to help the displaced.

“We have joined in helping refugees from other regions of Ukraine, since our region is calm compared to those in which hostilities are taking place,” says AAC’s Max Fidosh.

Western Ukraine has become somewhat of a refuge for displaced Ukrainians that are fleeing Kyiv, Kharkiv and beyond. Lviv, which has a train line to Poland and is far from the conflict, has become somewhat of a ‘sanctuary’ for migrants.

A number of music venues in the city have opened their doors to refugees and utilised their resources to help the military.

“Now we are not only doing volunteer work to resettle people in places that are available to us”

The Les Kurbas Theatre, one of Ukraine’s most critically acclaimed theatres, has been transformed into a refugee centre featuring camp beds and a bomb shelter in the basement.

Natalia Rybka-Parhomenko, who normally acts and sings at the venue, now volunteers there, helping to organise, manage and settle.

“We thought about how we could be useful in such an alarming time and decided to make a refugee shelter, because we understood that there would be a great need for people to leave, especially from the east, because it is especially difficult there,” she told Sky News.

“There is a demand, the theatre works as a hostel now. We joke that this is a five-star hotel, because we have a bomb shelter here and people don’t have to go outside the theatre – just go down. We dress people and they have a place to rest and eat.”

Some six miles away, Arena Lviv, a 34,000-capacity stadium in western Ukraine, has opened a coordination centre helping migrants and refugees with resettlement and border crossing.

“The entire staff of Arena Lviv is working tirelessly to provide the highest degree of comfort to all re-settlers and refugees”

“Every hour more and more people come to us from all over the country where the occupiers are destroying their homes,” Olga Manko, head of Arena Lviv, tells IQ.

Alongside the centre, the venue has also tasked its catering team with cooking food for the country’s troops and has already prepared and delivered more than 5,000 dinners to the frontline in five days.

“The entire staff and management of Arena Lviv is working tirelessly, doing everything possible and impossible to provide the highest degree of comfort to all re-settlers and refugees, and as a result became volunteers themselves,” continues Manko.

“We continue to help our citizens and believe in a victory of our country.”

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France has announced a gradual easing of restrictions on live events, starting from the beginning of February.

In the first rollback, the audience capacity limits for seated events will be lifted from 2 February. Currently, indoor seated events are restricted to 2,000 people and outdoor seated events are restricted to 5,000.

In addition, face masks will no longer be required from 2 February.

From 16 February, standing events will be permitted to take place and nightclubs will be allowed to re-open for the first time since 27 December. Eating and drinking will again be allowed in stadiums, cinemas and public transport.

From 16 February, standing events will be permitted to take place and nightclubs will be allowed to re-open

The easing of restrictions has been justified with the introduction of France’s new vaccine passport on 24 January.

From that date, the current health pass will become a vaccine passport for citizens aged over 16.

This means that only citizens who have received one or two doses (depending on the vaccine) will be permitted to attend leisure activities, restaurants and pubs (except for collective catering), fairs, seminars and trade shows as well as long-distance public transport.

Prime minister Jean Castex said 93% of French adults have received at least one dose, and that the pass could even be suspended if the Covid-19 situation improved dramatically.

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The National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) announced the relaunch of its Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) to provide economic relief to independent, music and comedy venues, festivals, and promoters across the US.

The fund was first launched in October 2020 by NIVF’s parent, the National Independent Venue Association, to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 shutdowns on independent venues, as they awaited financial relief from government programmes.

The updated ERF will now cover additional unforeseeable situations beyond the control of recipients, including natural disasters, future pandemics, and the lasting effects of Covid-19.

“These venues and promoters contribute in immeasurable ways to the vibrancy of the nation’s diverse communities and economy,” says Lisa Gedgaudas, co-chair of the NIVF ERF committee and program manager, Cultural Affairs Arts & Venues with the city and county of Denver.

“From pandemics to fire and floods, the new evolution of the ERF program stands in preparation for a stronger recovery”

“While NIVF’s ERF is limited in resources compared to the federal funding we have seen, it is our social responsibility to have this program in place to help represent our independent contributors that are hardest hit and facing severe and catastrophic emergencies beyond their control.

“From pandemics to fire and floods, the new evolution of the ERF program stands in preparation for a stronger recovery in the face of various climate emergencies that may continue to impact independent venues in our communities over time.”

Since its debut, the ERF has awarded US$3,170,000 to entities in 40 states; $2,800,000 to 148 independent venues and $370,000 to 18 independent promoters, using funds sources from thousands of individuals around the country as well as corporate and institutional partners.

Mast-Jägermeister US, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Spotify, Universal Music Group, the Gerald L. Lenndard Foundation, Sony Corporation, Fender Musical Instruments Corp and YouTube Music are among the partners.

More detailed information about the fund, including a link for those that wish to apply or donate, can be found at www.nivferf.org.

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The Catalan government yesterday (26 August) announced a new subsidy of €3 million for venue operators in the region.

The fund will help operators mitigate the financial impact of the Covid-19 restrictions implemented during the first half of 2021.

This is the second subsidy of its kind and is almost double the initial €1,800,000 aid for venue operators.

In the new round of funding, the maximum limit of aid that operators can receive is increased to €350,000.

In order to be eligible, venue operators must prove a minimum expenditure of €4,000, as well as programming that includes at least 24 paid concerts between 14 March 2019 and 14 March 2020.

This is the second subsidy of its kind and is almost double the initial €1,800,000 aid for venue operators

Grants will vary depending on the capacity of the venue:

• Rooms with a capacity of up to 400 people: 70% of the declared expense.
• Rooms with a capacity between 401 and 1,500 people: 75% of the declared expense.
• Rooms with a capacity of more than 1,500 people: 80% of the declared expense.

The Catalan government has also announced an €800,000 subsidy for the programming of live music events.

The funding, which applies to festivals, concert series and venue operators, can be used for all projects developed from 1 June 2020 that have ended between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021.

Festivals and concert series must have included a minimum of four concerts in Catalonia in order to be eligible. Venue operators must have hosted a minimum of 20 concerts with paid admission in order to apply. Applicants may receive up to €45,000.

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As it prepares to open two new venues in Australia, Cedar Mill Group has acquired one of the country’s leading event management companies.

Since it was founded by Iain Morrison in 2001, Humm has been behind a number of major festivals around the country including Beyond the Valley, Good Things Festival, NRL Nation and the Fire Fight Australia benefit concert. Its clients include Live Nation, TEG, Regional Touring, Untitled Group, and the New South Wales government. The firm will be rebranded Humm Events.

“It’s been an amazing ride for the team and the business to date but for Tara and myself it was an opportunity too good to let go,” said Morrison, who will remain at the company with business partner Tara Whitfield. They are joined by Cedar Mill Group’s Kyle McKendry as General Manager. McKendry joined Cedar Mill Group in 2019 after almost two decades at Roche Group.

Morrison added: “We now have the capacity to resource the business how and when we need to. Our ambition is to grow our team and presence further in the Australian/New Zealand markets, continuing a consistent level of industry benchmark outcomes for all of our clients.”

“Our ambition is to grow our team and presence further in the Australian/New Zealand markets”

Cedar Mill Group is building the 30,000-capacity Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie and 22,000 Cedar Mill Hunter Valley, which will both have “multi-million-dollar entertainment and cultural precincts”, according to the company.

Owned by property developers Winarch Capital, Cedar Mills Group says it has “aggressive growth plans”, with an ambition “to become a key player in the events sector,” according to Winarch CEO Paul Lambess.

Humm Events’ services cover event, site and production management; creative concept development; COVID-19, crowd and risk planning; and strategic consulting for event owners. It says feasibility planning is a big growth area.

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Music venues in the Netherlands are permitted to reopen from 5 June, when the country enters step three of the government’s reopening plan.

The cabinet announced on Friday (28 May) that cultural venues such as concert halls are allowed to reopen in step 3, subject to certain conditions including booking in advance, health checks and designated seating.

From 5 June, small concert halls can welcome a maximum of 50 visitors, as long as the venue can cater to the 1.5-metre social distancing rule.

Concert halls with at least 1,000 seats can welcome a maximum of 250 socially distanced visitors per room. This applies to all large indoor and outdoor venues including arenas, open-air theatres and concert halls.

Concert halls that opt to use coronavirus entry passes will be permitted to host as many people as they can accommodate provided they’re seated and socially distanced.

Concert halls with at least 1,000 seats can welcome a maximum of 250 socially distanced visitors per room

The relatively stringent measures come in spite of findings from three months’ worth of pilot events which show that the risk of Covid-19 infection, when following certain hygiene and testing protocols, is about the same as being at home.

The pilot events were conducted by Fieldlab Evenementen, an initiative of the Dutch government and several trade bodies, which concluded that shows may return safely at 100% capacity, even under the Netherlands’ ‘concern’ (zorgelijk) coronavirus risk level.

It looks like that won’t be a possibility for the Netherlands until late summer at the earliest, according to the government’s roadmap.

The fourth step of the reopening plan is planned for 30 June, when events can take place without a designated seating plan – provided social distancing is observed and entry passes are used. Events must also take account of local rules and requirements, such as permits. The government will decide on 22 June whether to implement step 4 as planned.

The final step, step 5, will see the government lift restrictions and remove the entry pass system. However, there’s no specified date for step 5 as the government says it will be determined by the number of infections and hospital admissions.

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Struggling concert halls in the US will receive additional aid, thanks to a $1.9 billion stimulus package passed by the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday (10 March) and signed into law by President Joe Biden the following day.

The new aid package, known as the American Rescue Package, includes an additional $1.25bn for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), also known as the Save Our Stages Act, which was part of last year’s aid package.

However, a new amendment to the Save Our Stages Act, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, enables venue owners to apply for additional federal help – unlike the original act which prohibited them from applying for both a grant and a loan to protect their employees’ salaries.

“This change can save countless halls from bankruptcy, as the money will help them to last until the available funds are paid”

“This change can save countless halls from bankruptcy, as the money will help them to last until the available funds are paid,” said Dayna Frank, chair of the board of directors of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and CEO of First Avenue Productions in Minneapolis, in a statement.

Eligible venue operators can now apply for the new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP2) loans that closes on 31 March to help them stay afloat until the Small Business Administration (SBA) has set up the SVOG programme, which has yet to announce a launch date.

Thank you @SenSchumer for helping struggling music venues with the added lifeline in the American Rescue Plan expected to become law tmw. Your amendment can save countless venues from bankruptcy—immediate PPP2 funds will help them hold on until SVOG flows. https://t.co/xhsv244mxz

— NIVA – National Independent Venue Association (@nivassoc) March 11, 2021

The $15bn SVOG programme/Save Our Stages Act for theatre operators and small venue owners was passed by US Congress in December 2020, as part of a wider $900bn Covid-19 stimulus package.

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