Hundreds of concert venues, booking agencies, independent promoters/presenters, production companies and independent music festivals from across Canada have come together, donating thousands of hours of their time and immeasurable resources to launch the #SupportCanadianVenues movement as the Canadian Independent Venue Coalition. The movement is asking for decisive government support for independent concert venues, for which the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified an important and systemic financial fragility. The movement is Canada-wide and covers countless spaces that together define Canadian culture.

Recent industry research indicates that 96% of the independent music industry across Canada, including over 90% of independent venues, will disappear in a matter of months in the absence of a very significant financial aid package. CIVC is asking the federal government to commit substantial emergency funding and an economic stimulus plan for the unfunded live music and touring sector in Canada. The Coalition maintains that without this assistance, there will be no Canadian live music industry to come back to, when venues are finally allowed to re-open.

You can find out more at their English and French web sites.