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Government of South Australia - Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceOffice for Small Family and Business

See It LIVE

About the full program

Live music and performance venues are integral to the development and employment of our talented local artists, both in our regions and in Adelaide, Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Music.

The South Australian Government’s $10 million See it LIVE support package is reviving the live music industry through a range of support for live music and hospitality venues, promoters and more.

This aims to support a whole new calendar of live gigs and festivals from 2022 to 2024, offering audiences a great opportunity to get along to a music performance and revitalising our nightlife.

Music events in venues, laneways, and public spaces will enrich our state and attract visitors boosting local businesses.

There are several initiatives as part of the See it LIVE program:

  • See it LIVE Music Activation Fund, grants worth up to $60,000, and access to business advisory services, to support sustainability and strengthen the business capability of dedicated live music venues with a capacity of 500 people or less. Applications have now closed.
  • FRINGE It LIVE program, with $50,000 in South Australian Government funding, the Adelaide Fringe has awarded grants of up to $2500 to assist venues with presenting live music in the 2024 program. See the list of grant recipients.
  • See it LIVE e-vouchers worth $400 each for live music and hospitality venues to host live music, the vouchers are helping music acts get back into pubs, clubs, small bars, restaurants, cafes and other smaller venues. Registrations and redemptions for the e-vouchers are now closed.
  • See it LIVE Event Grants for SA-based promoters, organisations and businesses, to help meet costs including engaging musicians and technicians, marketing and promotion costs and ensuring the event is COVID-19 safe. Due to an overwhelming response, the Event Grants are now fully subscribed.
  • Venue Improvement Grants, a $1 million scheme of 200 grants of $5,000 each to allow eligible venues to upgrade so they can cater for live music performances. This could assist with modifying layouts to allow for a small stage, create better viewing spaces for audiences, improve acoustics or upgrade sound systems including mixing equipment, speakers and PA systems. Venue Improvement Grants are now fully subscribed and applications are now closed.

Other programs

Support Act funding

Music industry charity Support Act received $250,000 which supported South Australian crew and music industry professionals to continue to access the Support Act wellbeing helpline – a free, confidential phone counselling service that is staffed by psychologists with direct experience of working in music and the arts.

It has also ensured South Australian music workers have had access to a range of industry specific prevention, education and training programs.


Premier’s Live Music Advisory Council

The Advisory Council has been established to leverage the council’s collective industry connections and expertise to continue revitalising live music in South Australia.

Live Music and Event Cancellation Fund

Financial assistance of between $10,000 and $250,000 was available if an event or live music performance had to be cancelled or rescheduled due to the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions. This fund has now closed.


Royal Adelaide Show partnership

Through a $500,000 grant, this partnership re-introduced live music to the Royal Adelaide Show entertainment program for the first time in 20 years. During the 2022 event, there was twice-daily programming in the Main Arena and the Main Boulevard Stage, where primarily South Australian and Indigenous artists demonstrated their talents in front of a large audience, on a scale that they would not otherwise have access to. This fund has now closed.

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