10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund is back for a third round, with cash on the table for venues booking local artists.
Melbourne venues, listen up: applications for 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund are open, with grants up for grabs.
Delivered by Music Victoria on behalf of the Victorian government, 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund is offering eligible licensed live music venues, and other spaces that put on live music, grants of up to $11,000. That money goes towards staging as many as 20 paid performances by Victorian artists, with the gigs to take place between 1 December 2026 and 30 June 2027. It marks the third round of a program built to keep local stages busy and local musicians paid.
10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund
- Applications open: 12 August 2026
- Applications close: 2 September 2026
- Free online information session: 18 August 2026
- Grant amount: up to $11,000 per venue
- What it funds: up to 20 paid performances by Victorian artists
- Performance period: 1 December 2026 to 30 June 2027
Catch up on all the latest news here.
7,600 gigs and counting
This isn’t the fund’s first outing. Since launching in 2024, it’s backed more than 7,600 gigs by Victorian artists across metropolitan, regional and outer-metropolitan pockets of the state. Music Victoria is steering the round using its industry know-how and networks, with everything from iconic bandrooms and neighbourhood pubs to regional halls and community spaces encouraged to throw their hat in.
Previous recipients paint a picture of just how broad live music can get. Past rounds have supported well-known rooms including The Wesley Anne, Howler and The Tote, alongside less obvious venues such as Echuca Aquatic Reserve and Coal Creek Community Park & Museum.
Here’s where to start
View this post on Instagram
Not sure where to begin? Music Victoria is running a free online information session on 18 August, walking prospective applicants through the program, its eligibility requirements and the full application process before submissions shut on 2 September.
The round forms part of the Victorian government’s $35.4 million commitment to the state’s live music industry, announced in the 2023–24 Victorian Budget. That funding reaches artists, music workers, businesses and venues, at every level and across every corner of Victoria, from the biggest cities to the smallest regional towns.
It follows the recent 2026 Music Works round, which put money behind artists, music workers and music businesses. This time, the spotlight swings to the venues where live music actually happens, with applications open now.
For more information, head here.
