18 Sydney Businesses Have Just Been Given Grants to Run More Live Music and Late-Night Events

Our city's nightlife may be doing it tough, but it's just been thrown a bit of a bone. The City of Sydney has just announced the recipients of its late-night grant program, and it looks like we've got a load of new after-dark cultural events and gigs to look forward to.

The business support grant program aims to reinvigorate the city's nightlife scene by supporting live music venues and small businesses that want to expand their programming and late-night offering. The grants — which offer matched funding up to $30,000 — will go toward infrastructure upgrades, including acoustics, staging and equipment. Basically all the things that help venues introduce new nighttime performances, talks and film. The first round of funding will go to 18 local businesses, including Oxford Art Factory, The World Bar, Freda's and historic jazz venues Foundry 616 and The Roosevelt.

"We know the NSW Government's lockout laws have had a significant impact on Sydney's night-time economy, so we are finding practical ways to help local businesses and live music venues get back on their feet," says Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "We want to do everything we can to encourage businesses to provide more diverse night-time activities."

Apart from these iconic nightlife venues, City of Sydney will also work with retail stores, theatres and bookshops to expand their programming — in Darlinghurst alone, patrons can expect to see arthouse movie nights and painting classes at the The Tribe, fortnightly conversations with local authors at Ariel Bookshop and small-scale cabaret performances at Eternity Playhouse. New musical offerings for Hudson Ballroom and slam poetry at City Recital Hall are also on the bill. These events will be rolled out over the next 12 months — look out for them in our events calendar.

If you own a small business in the City of Sydney, you can apply for the next round of funding until March 12.