The government of the Republic of Ireland has revealed the recipients of its €25m (£21m) Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS), with more than 237 organisations set to benefit including venues, event producers and promoters.

The minister for tourism, culture, arts, gaeltacht, sport and media, Catherine Martin TD is heading the scheme, which is part of a €50m (£43m) support scheme for the live entertainment industry and follows the “exceptional demand and very successful outcomes” of the previous €5m (£4m) LPSS.

The government said there was a high level of interest for the scheme, with more than 400 applicants requesting funding in excess of €80m (£68m).

Out of the successful applicants, Aiken Promotions is set to receive the largest grant, with €581,811 (£497,745) allocated for performances at Dublin’s 1,000-capacity Vicar Street venue over the summer.

Live Nation-owned Festival Republic, which co-operates Ireland’s biggest music festival Electric Picnic (pictured), has been allocated €423,135 (£361,687). This will be for live music and theatre shows, comedy acts and arts in Electric Picnic festival venue Stradbally Hall (cap. 70,000), as well as Olympia Theatre, Dublin (1,240).

The same amount will be given to Body & Soul Event Creations Ltd, and Pod Festivals, which co-manages Electric Picnic with Festival Republic.

Pod Festivals, which operates the likes of Forbidden Fruit (5,000) and All Together Now (22,500), will receive the funding for Meadows Festival – an open-air, social distanced summer series of events including music, comedy and spoken word.

Also among the other recipients are the The Gaiety (2,000) and The Olympia venue operators MCD Productions, which also promotes events including the Indiependence (15,000) and Sea Sessions (13,000) festivals.

Martin said, “I know this funding will assist in the employment of performers, artists, technicians, creative and performance support staff across the sector, bringing much-needed employment to many who have not had work for many, many months. I look forward to the high-quality artistic output, as demonstrated in the pilot, which has been so important and enjoyed by so many.

“I have recently provided a further €5m under the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme for local authorities to engage local performers and crew to stage live performances in their areas, creating further employment opportunities over the coming months.”

The full list of recipients for the Live Performance Support Scheme can be found here.

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