Event Industry Association of Ireland

19/03/2026

If you are delivering live music in Ireland, you should be entering this.

The IMRO Live Music Awards recognise the venues, festivals, promoters and technical crews who are making live music happen across the country, and that work matters.

The Irish music industry contributes over €1 billion to the economy and supports more than 13,400 jobs. Live events alone generate approximately €786 million in consumer spending each year.

Behind those numbers are teams managing real complexity including programming, safety, compliance, production and audience experience, often under pressure and with limited recognition.

Categories include:

• Venues across all regions
• Festivals, both large and small scale
• Promoters
• Technical crews

If you have delivered live music over the past 12 months and are IMRO compliant, you are eligible. Submissions are straightforward and this is your opportunity to:

• Showcase your work
• Recognise your team
• Position your organisation at a national level

At a time when the future of Ireland’s live music industry is being actively discussed at policy level, it is more important than ever that the full breadth of the industry is visible.

We strongly encourage all EIAI members working in live music to put themselves forward.

Do not assume someone else will nominate you, enter today! Click here for further information: https://imro.ie/supporting-music/imro-live-music-venue-of-the-year-awards/

The IMRO Live Music Awards celebrate the venues, festivals, promoters and technical crews that support and sustain Ireland’s live music ecosystem. Established by IMRO in 2009, the Awards recognise the businesses and teams that provide vital platforms for live music across the island of Ireland. Fr...

18/03/2026

🚨 Fire Safety Regulations Are Changing in Ireland

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has launched a public consultation on fire safety regulations for places of assembly, the first review in over 40 years and this is just the beginning.

The proposed changes could affect how events are designed and delivered, including:
• Marquee entrances and tent layouts
• Immersive and themed experiences
• Site security and access control
• Build and breakdown phases

This is Phase 1 of a wider reform, with further changes expected to follow.

EIAI will be engaging with this process and making a formal submission, and we encourage all those working across the events industry to take a look and get involved. Please email us if you would like your comments included - [email protected]

👉 Read more here: https://eiai.ie/fire-safety-regulations-are-changing-and-this-is-only-phase-1/

The Irish Government has launched a public consultation on proposed changes to fire safety regulations for places of assembly, and this is the first step in a

16/03/2026

St Patrick’s Day parades show the best of Ireland, but volunteers shouldn’t have to manage them alone.

Across the country today, thousands of volunteers are organising parades and community celebrations that bring towns and villages to life. What many people don’t see is the work behind the scenes, road closures, crowd safety planning, coordination with emergency services, insurance, stewarding and much more.

Community events are one of Ireland’s greatest strengths. But the volunteers who make them happen deserve better support and clearer systems. To everyone organising a parade tomorrow - best of luck and thank you for the incredible work you do for your communities.

Read more here:
https://eiai.ie/st-patricks-day-parades-show-the-best-of-ireland-but-volunteers-shouldnt-have-to-manage-them-alone/

Across Ireland tomorrow, communities will come together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. From large city parades to small village gatherings, thousands of

08/03/2026

Funding Opportunity for Local Festivals and Summer Schools

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has announced the Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Funding Scheme 2026, providing grants of up to €5,000 to support community-led cultural events across Ireland.

This scheme is designed for smaller, not-for-profit festivals and summer schools that may not qualify for larger national funding programmes such as those run by Fáilte Ireland or the Arts Council.

Local festivals play a hugely important role in communities across Ireland. They celebrate culture, support local talent, bring visitors to towns and villages, and create opportunities for people to come together through music, arts, heritage and creativity.

📅 Application deadline: 2 April 2026

If you are involved in organising a local cultural festival or summer school, this could be a valuable opportunity to support your event.

We’ve shared further details on our website here: https://eiai.ie/funding-opportunity-for-small-scale-festivals-and-summer-schools-announced-for-2026/

Tag someone who organises a local festival or community event who might find this helpful 👇

Minister Patrick O’Donovan today announced a series of grant schemes in support of the Department’s strategic objective to increase access to the arts and National Collections. These include the Small-Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme designed to assist local cultural events which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events such as those supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies.

Closing date for applications is 2 April 2026. Funding is allocated following a competitive application process, with a maximum grant of €5,000 available.

For further information, see link in Bio.

D’fhógair an tAire Patrick O’Donovan inniu sraith scéimeanna deontas chun tacú le cuspóir straitéiseach na Roinne rochtain ar na healaíona agus ar Bhailiúcháin Náisiúnta a mhéadú. Tá an Scéim um Fhéilte agus Scoileanna Samhraidh Áitiúla ar Scála Beag san áireamh atá deartha chun cabhrú le himeachtaí cultúrtha áitiúla nach mbeadh incháilithe faoi chritéir mhaoinithe d’imeachtaí ar scála níos mó cosúil leo siúd a fhaigheann tacaíocht ó Fáilte Éireann, ón gComhairle Ealaíon agus eagraíochtaí eile dá leithéid.

Is é an 2 Aibreán 2026 an dáta deiridh le haghaidh iarratas. Déantar maoiniú a leithdháileadh tar éis próiseas iarratais iomaíoch, agus is é €5,000 an deontas uasta atá ar fáil.

Tá breis eolais eolais le fáil ag an nasc inár mBio

06/03/2026

Ireland’s live music pipeline starts in rooms of 100 people or less, the small stages and early gigs. The venues where artists perform before anyone knows their name. Today, Minister Patrick O'Donovan TD announced a €1 million Night Time Economy Support Scheme for grassroots venues.

The Grassroots Venue Support Scheme 2026 will provide:
• up to €20,000 for established venues
• up to €8,000 for emerging venues
• support for programming, production, crew, marketing, security and event insurance

Grassroots venues are where artists build confidence, where audiences discover new talent, and where local live music ecosystems begin. But there is a bigger question. Who supports the infrastructure that actually delivers live events?

Promoters / Event Organisers / Freelance Technicians / Production Crews / Licensing Systems / Insurance Frameworks ...

Without that operational ecosystem, even the best venues cannot programme events.

This issue was highlighted during recent discussions at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport on developing Ireland’s live music industry, where the importance of the full delivery pipeline was raised.

As the representative body for the events industry in Ireland, the Event Industry Association of Ireland will continue to advocate for policies that support the full live event ecosystem, from grassroots venues and artists to the organisers and professionals who deliver events across the country.

The conversation around Ireland’s night time economy is evolving and that is a positive development. But sustaining live performance nationwide will require a whole ecosystem approach.

Please click here for futher information on the scheme and relevant links: https://eiai.ie/government-announces-e1-million-support-scheme-for-grassroots-music-venues/

👏 A special congratulations and thank you to the organisations and advocates who have worked tirelessly to bring attention to the challenges facing grassroots venues, including Give Us The Night, the Live Venue Collective, and the many venue operators, promoters and industry professionals who continue to champion Ireland’s live music culture.

Minister Patrick O’Donovan has today announced a €1 million Night-Time Economy Support Scheme aimed at independent grassroots venues.
The scheme is being introduced in recognition of both the contribution that grassroots music venues make to the music industry by nurturing emerging acts, and also the challenges facing these venues.

Applications can be made from noon today until noon on 30th March 2026.

For further information, see link in Bio.

D’fhógair an tAire Patrick O’Donovan Scéim Tacaíochta €1 milliún um Gheilleagar Oíche inniu le haghaidh Ionaid Cheoil Pobail.
Tá an scéim á tabhairt isteach mar aitheantas ar an méid a chuireann ionaid cheoil pobail leis an tionscal ceoil trí cheoltóirí atá ag teacht chun cinn a chothú, agus ar na dúshláin atá roimh na hionaid seo freisin.
Táthar ag glacadh le hiarratais ar an scéim ó mheán lae inniu go dtí meán lae ar 30 Márta 2026.

Tá breis eolais eolais le fáil ag an nasc inár mBio

27/02/2026

Ireland’s Night-Time Economy needs evidence, it also needs infrastructure.

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has issued a call for a researcher to examine the value of Ireland’s night-time economy. This is a welcome and important development. For those of us working daily across Ireland’s events industry, from live music to festivals, venues, promoters, crew and suppliers, the conversation about economic value must now go deeper than headline spend.

We need:
• Clear data on regional delivery capacity
• Insight into promoter attrition post-Covid
• Analysis of insurance and compliance burdens
• Understanding of volume collapse in small and medium towns
• Assessment of how Night-Time Economy supports (including Purple Flag and related initiatives) are being measured and evaluated

Evidence matters, but it must translate into operational change.

At EIAI, our recent engagement with the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport emphasised that live music policy cannot succeed without a safe, resourced, locally enabled and repeatable delivery system. Research is the starting point, system reform is the destination. During that meeting IMRO was asked to provide a comprehensive list of venues nationwide, a dataset that will be critical in informing this research and understanding real delivery capacity across the country. IMRO this information will be an important foundation for evidence-led policy.

If you are a researcher working in this space, or if your organisation has data that should inform this work, now is the time to engage.

Are you a researcher interested in examining the value of Ireland’s night-time economy?
The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is seeking a suitable researcher to help deliver insights into the value of Ireland’s night-time economy. Applications are open until 13:00, Thursday 16th April 2026.

For more, see link in Bio.🔗

An taighdeoir tú, agus spéis agat iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar luach gheilleagar oíche na hÉireann?
Tá an Roinn Cultúir, Cumarsáide agus Spóirt ag cur fáilte roimh iarratais ó dhaoine a bhfuil na cáilíochtaí cuí acu chun léargas a fháil ar luach gheilleagar oíche nah Éireann. Is gá iarratas a dhéanamh faoi 13:00, Déardaoin 16 Aibreán 2026.

Breis eolais sa nasc inár mBio.🔗

Photo Credit: Ireland Content Pool 📷

26/02/2026

We’re delighted to share that Elaine O'Connor, Co-Founder of the Event Industry Association of Ireland (EIAI), has been appointed to the international jury panel for the Eventex Awards 2026.

Eventex Awards is one of the world’s leading awards programmes for events and experience marketing. This year’s jury brings together 251 industry experts from 43 countries, recognising creativity, innovation and excellence across global events.

The 2026 edition also introduces new Grand Prix categories, celebrating work that truly sets the benchmark for the industry worldwide.

This appointment highlights the strength of Irish expertise within the global events community. At EIAI, we remain committed to strengthening standards, governance and delivery capability across Ireland’s events industry, while ensuring our voice is represented internationally.

Congratulations to all involved in this year’s awards.


For more information please click here:

The Event Industry Association of Ireland (EIAI) is proud to announce that its Co-Founder, Elaine O'Connor, has been appointed to the international jury panel

19/02/2026

* €6.5 Million Creative Climate Action Fund III Announced – A Major Opportunity for the Events & Cultural Sector *

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and CreativeIrl have launched Creative Climate Action Fund III (2026–2029), a €6.5 million fund supporting ambitious, creative projects that drive real climate action through public engagement. This is not just an arts fund. It recognises something our industry has long known: Cultural experience drives behavioural change.

Funding of €400,000–€750,000 per project (over three years) is available for large-scale, partnership-led initiatives that:

• Lead with creativity
• Deliver measurable behavioural or cultural shifts
• Embed organisational change
• Create lasting cross-sector collaboration

Projects must move beyond awareness and demonstrate tangible impact, aligning with national priorities including climate mitigation, biodiversity, sustainable transport, circular economy, renewable energy and just transition.

For the live events and cultural ecosystem, this is significant. Festivals, venues, creative producers, local authorities, design agencies, universities and climate organisations can collaborate on projects that position live engagement as a core climate solution. There is also a dedicated Shared Island allocation for cross-border partnerships.

Strategically, this fund signals a policy shift:
Climate action is now recognised as a cultural challenge as much as a scientific one. For our industry, that creates real opportunity. If your organisation has the scale, governance capacity and ambition to lead transformational work, this is worth serious consideration.

Applications open mid-February 2026 and close mid-April 2026.

If there is interest, EIAI can explore facilitating sector briefings or partnership conversations. More information available here: https://eiai.ie/e6-5-million-creative-climate-action-fund-iii-announced-major-opportunity-for-event-cultural-sector/

The events industry is not adjacent to climate action — it is a platform for it.

€6.5 Million Creative Climate Action Fund III Announced – Major Opportunity for Event & Cultural Sector Post author:Elaine O'Connor Post published:February 19, 2026 Post category:Uncategorized The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, through the Creative Ireland Programme, has launch...

13/02/2026

This week, EIAI addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Developing Ireland’s Live Music Industry.

We welcomed the opportunity to speak directly to policymakers about the real challenges facing Ireland’s live music and events ecosystem.

Our core message was simple:

Ireland does not lack talent — we lack a repeatable, properly supported delivery system.

Post-Covid, the sector didn’t just lose revenue. It lost capacity. Independent operators are under pressure. Grassroots venues are struggling. Public events are being cancelled. And many of the structural issues affecting delivery have been identified for over a decade.

Live music cannot thrive without a safe, consistent and modern events framework underpinning it.

In our submission, we proposed:
• A Strategic National Events Plan
• A National Events Centre of Excellence (LGMA-hosted)
• A formal update and maintenance cycle for Ireland’s Codes of Practice
• Stabilised grassroots venue supports
• Clear progression pathways from education to touring

This is not about creating new bureaucracy.
It is about providing practical delivery support so that events can proceed safely, consistently and sustainably across the country.

We look forward to continuing engagement with Committee Members, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and stakeholders to ensure this discussion translates into action.

The full submission and recording is available here: https://eiai.ie/eiai-addresses-oireachtas-committee-on-developing-irelands-live-music-industry/

05/02/2026

Live music needs more than talent — it needs delivery.

Next week, the Event Industry Association of Ireland (EIAI) will address the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport on the real issues affecting Ireland’s live music sector.

Our submission looks beyond headline acts and funding announcements to the delivery pipeline that makes live music possible — venues, crews, promoters, public spaces, local processes and up-to-date guidance.

Since COVID, the sector hasn’t just lost income. It has lost repeatable delivery capacity, particularly at grassroots and mid-scale level — the very foundations where artists, crew and venues develop.

This conversation is about rebuilding the systems that allow live music to happen safely, consistently and across every region, week after week.

12.30pm, Wednesday, 11 February 2026

Leinster House (public session, livestreamed - Link below)

Read more here: https://eiai.ie/eiai-to-address-oireachtas-committee-on-rebuilding-irelands-live-music-delivery-pipeline/

EIAI members, colleagues and supporters are encouraged to tune in and follow the discussion.

EIAI to Address Oireachtas Committee on Rebuilding Ireland’s Live Music Delivery Pipeline Post author:Elaine O'Connor Post published:February 5, 2026 Post category:Uncategorized The Event Industry Association of Ireland (EIAI) will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Commu...

11/11/2025

We were honoured to represent the Irish events industry at yesterday’s Covid-19 Evaluation Stakeholder Roundtable, chaired by Professor Anne Scott and facilitated by Martina Lawless (Director, ESRI).

This vital discussion brought together key stakeholders to reflect on the pandemic’s economic impacts and identify recovery priorities across all sectors.

Our key insights highlighted:
• How the events sector serves as a vital case study — not only because of the damage it sustained, but because it exposed how outdated and fragmented governance structures can magnify the impact of a crisis.
• How government financial supports (PUP, CRSS, etc.) excluded many within our workforce and supply chain.
• How attempts at industry engagement revealed a limited understanding of the true breadth and scale of Ireland’s event ecosystem.
• How siloed communication with select interest groups created an uneven recovery environment for a highly competitive industry.
• How the event industry underpinned the successful delivery of Ireland’s national COVID-19 response — yet its expertise was not acknowledged or leveraged when international recovery models were adopted.
• How, unlike most other sectors, our industry continues to experience long-term consequences — including workforce shortages, skills erosion, and the absence of ongoing government engagement.

The events industry demonstrated extraordinary resilience throughout the pandemic.
Now, it needs structural coherence, strategic coordination, and sustained recognition to truly recover and thrive.

Read our full strategy: https://eiai.ie/future-proofing-the-irish-event-industry-a-call-for-national-strategy/

Future-Proofing the Irish Event Industry: A Call for National Strategy Post author:Elaine O'Connor Post published:October 23, 2025 Post category:Uncategorized Ireland’s event industry is at a turning point. From global festivals and conferences to regional cultural gatherings, events drive creativ...

26/12/2024

https://www.eventindustrynews.com/podcasts/greenwashing-how-it-manifests-in-the-events-industry

Sustainability strategy experts Sam Wilson, managing director at Syntiro Associates, and Dr Dominic Tantram, partner at Terrafiniti, present a podcast precu ...