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Metro council approves more CARES Act funding for small music venues

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Posted at 7:19 AM, Sep 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-02 08:19:35-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro council members are giving small music venues in Nashville some of the city's CARES Act money.

At the council meeting Tuesday night, council member Courtney Johnston said 11 weeks from now, almost all small music venues would be permanently closed if assistance isn't given.

The council voted to distribute $2 million more in CARES Act funding to music venues that have an annual revenue of less than $5 million.

“Due to the significant impact that live music has on the city of Nashville, we decided to earmark dollars specifically so that live music venues that are the nucleus of the cell of our local live music industry,” Johnston said.

Because music venues bring people together in tight spaces for long periods of time, they will likely suffer the longest of all businesses, according to Nashville's reopening strategy. The grants will allow music venues to cover expenses such as mortgage, rent, insurance and utilities.

This is exclusively for music venues, not music festivals. The small venues can apply to receive money to cover two months of expenses or up to $100,000.