A new €2.6m scheme to support night-time entertainment in Irish towns and cities has been launched this afternoon.

The Night-Time Economy Support Scheme (NTESS) will help pubs, nightclubs, cafés and other venues to offer live entertainment during off-peak hours.

The Arts Minister Catherine Martin said it aims to increase the number of paid gigs on offer to artists and give Irish towns and cities a more “alternative, diverse and inclusive” night-time offering.

“I want to support and develop a thriving environment at night in our cities and rural towns,” she said.

“This scheme aims to attract people in to our towns and cities later in the evening and night time by offering a range of cultural activities, in a variety of venues.”

A new €2.6m support scheme will boost our night-time economy

This will support off-peak entertainment in
🟢pubs
🟢nightclubs
🟢cafés
+ other licensed and unlicensed premises

Events might include
🟢electronic music
🟢comedy
🟢dance
🟢poetry
and much morehttps://t.co/E3DJCJ3yS9

— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) June 21, 2022

She said it would also encourage venues to put on events during the earlier part of the week when it is typically quieter.

“I have also listened to the sector in relation to the lack of venues for artists and performers, especially for new and emerging acts,” she said.

“This scheme will aim to provide those opportunities for new acts, by supporting the smaller venues such as pubs and cafés to trial out new cultural activities and provide those much-needed spaces and paying gigs to artists.”

The scheme is open to pubs, restaurants and nightclubs who want to trial a new series of events between Monday and Thursday after 6pm.

It is also open to café, galleries and other suitable non-licensed premises interested in hosting events from 6pm onwards any night of the week. These venues must remain open until at least 9pm.

The entertainment must be “of a participative or performance nature” and can include but is not limited to:

• Live music, including electronic music, performance
• Comedy nights
• Dance either performed or a participative event
• Literature or poetry nights
• Theatrical productions or plays
• Craft events
• Art/photographic exhibitions

The scheme opened for applications this afternoon and will remain open until Friday July 22^nd or until the fund is exhausted, “whichever occurs first”.