(CelebrityAccess) — After going virtual last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Independent Venue Week will be back in full force this year with more than 200 venues around the U.S. hosting live events.
Set for the week of July 12 -18, venues in 41 states and territories have agreed to host programming that celebrates the spirit of independent music.
The venue-curated programming will coincide with the return of #IVWTalks, a virtual conference series that discusses current live music industry issues and includes Get Schooled, a full day dedicated to student participants interested in a career in live music which is set to take place on Thursday, July 15.
“Getting ready for this year’s event feels particularly meaningful,” says Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at IVW U.S. organizer Marauder. “For the past 14 months, independent venues and promoters have collectively fought for their very survival and this feels like the turning point that we’ve all been working for. We were happy and proud to grow Independent Venue Week last year—to even have it, under the circumstances. This year, we hope and believe that fans will return with a renewed appreciation for these uniquely important spaces.””
IVW also highlighted their partnership with the National Independent Venue Association for the event.
“Independent Venue Week brought us together in good times and then connected us when we had to fight to Save Our Stages,” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, board member and communications director of NIVA. “Without Independent Venue Week’s years of bringing awareness to the contributions that independent venues provide in terms of creating a communal space for music, connecting people, art, and commerce, it’s impossible to imagine how this industry could have survived.”
Independent venues and concert promoters who wish to take part in Venue Week this year are invited to sign up here.
