Live Music Society Awards $844,000 to 29 Small Performance Venues Through Fourth Year of Music in Action Grant Program

Organization Has Now Distributed Nearly $6 Million to 250 Independent Venues Across the U.S., Supporting Artists, Audiences, and Communities

June 24, 2026 - Live Music Society (LMS) has announced the 29 small performance venue recipients of the 2026 Music in Action grant. This year's grantees will collectively receive $844,000 in funding to support programs that strengthen community connections, expand access to live music, nurture emerging artists, and improve the concert experience for audiences, artists, and staff at each venue. With this latest round of funding, LMS has now distributed nearly $6 million in grants to 250 independent venues nationwide since its founding in 2020. The program is designed to empower spaces where musicians, fans, and entire communities can thrive, while providing essential support for projects that promote sustainable growth, strengthen local cultural infrastructure, and amplify historically underrepresented voices.

Now in its fourth year, the Music in Action grant program continues to support venue-led projects that demonstrate creativity, community relevance, inclusivity, and lasting impact. The 2026 grantees represent 19 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, reflecting the breadth and diversity of the nation's independent venue ecosystem. From artist residencies and mentorship programs to festivals, educational initiatives, audience development campaigns, and accessibility-focused programming, this year's projects showcase how small venues are building stronger communities through live music.

"This is an exciting time for Live Music Society. Through Music in Action projects and One Night Live tours, we're finding new ways to support the people who make live music happen. Whether it's helping a venue try something new or helping an artist get on the road, we're focused on creating more opportunities for artists, audiences, and communities to connect." - Gavin Berger, Board President, Live Music Society

This year's Music in Action grantees are exploring innovative ways to connect live music with community wellbeing. Caff è Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York will launch a Prescription Ticket Pilot, partnering with healthcare providers, social workers, and therapists to offer patients access to concerts and community experiences that support social connection and mental wellness. In New Orleans, Preservation Hall will expand its Kids Iin Tthe Hall field trip program, providing more students with hands-on musical experiences and direct exposure to one of the country's most iconic music institutions.

Community-centered programming is also a hallmark of this year's cohort. Trans-Pecos in Ridgewood, New York City will present Sound Summit, a series of day-long events built around specific musical styles that bring together musicians, visual artists, local vendors, and audiences. In San Francisco, The Riptide will launch Tidefest, a community music festival spotlighting local, emerging, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artists. Meanwhile, Drytown Social Club in rural Drytown, California will expand cultural programming through Ritmos y Raíces, a Latin music series designed to connect new audiences with live music while celebrating regional and cultural traditions.

In conjunction with this year's Music in Action announcement, Live Music Society has released the eighth episode of its American Road Trip video series. The new episode spotlights two Los Angeles jazz institutions and 2025 Music in Action grantees, Sam Firstand The World Stage Performance Gallery, exploring their roles in supporting artists and building community through live music. The episode also features a performance by the Becca Stevens Trio, filmed as part of Big Acts in a Small Space, the Music in Action-supported concert series created by Sam First. Watch HERE .

The full list of Music in Action grantees includes:

Ars Nova Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)

Bishop Hill Creative Commons (Bishop Hill, IL)

Cafe Colonial (Sacramento, CA)

Caff è Lena (Saratoga Springs, NY)

The Dance Hall (Kittery, ME)

Drom (New York, NY)

Drytown Social Club (Drytown, CA)

The End (Lafayette, CO)

The Free Man (Dallas, TX)

Happy Dog (Cleveland, OH)

La Casa de la Cultura Isabelina (Isabela, PR)

The Monarch (Louisville, KY)

Monks Jazz Club (Austin, TX)

Next Stage Arts Project (Putney, VT)

Nova Arts (Keene, NH)

Odin & Freja's Place (Scandinavia, WI)

One World Brewing (Asheville, NC)

Preservation Hall (New Orleans, LA)

The RiffRaff Arts Collective (Princeton, WV)

The Riptide (San Francisco, CA)

The Rosette (Austin, TX)

The Royal Music & Arts Center (Glenside, PA)

Safety Harbor Music & Arts Center (Safety Harbor, FL)

The Silverlake Lounge (Los Angeles, CA)

Songbyrd Music House (Washington, DC)

The Starry Plough Pub (Berkeley, CA)

Tom's Daiquiri (Denton, TX)

Trans-Pecos (Ridgewood, NY)

ZOLA (Spokane, WA)

To learn more about the 2026 grantees and their projects, visit https://www.livemusicsociety.org/music-in-action-grantees .

In addition to its grantmaking programs, Live Music Society continues to expand its support for the independent venue ecosystem through One Night Live, the touring collaboration it launched in 2025 with D-Tour and Salt Lick Incubator. Created in response to the economic challenges facing emerging artists and independent venues, One Night Live helps create more sustainable touring opportunities by combining artist-development partnerships, direct financial support, and community-focused performances at independent venues.

The initiative has grown rapidly since its launch, supporting five tours in just 15 months and building partnerships with organizations including D-Tour, Salt Lick Incubator, Midtopia, Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future, and Folk Alliance International. Participating venues receive support to help offset marketing and production costs while artists benefit from expanded touring opportunities and stronger connections with local communities.

Several current and former Live Music Society grantees have participated in One Night Live tours, reflecting the organization's broader commitment to strengthening every part of the independent live music ecosystem, from venue sustainability and audience development to artist discovery and career growth. Live Music Society plans to continue expanding the initiative in the coming year and most recently announced a summer tour with Salt Lick Incubator artist Frail Talk .