Live 500 IV

Live 500 IV is a German scheme that pays small venues and independent promoters to put on shows by artists who aren't already getting mainstream stage time, with half the money required to flow straight to the performers. A venue (capacity up to 1,000) or a promoter without a venue of their own can apply, but has to already be running a real program of shows — venues need a minimum number of concerts a year depending on town size, promoters need a track record of at least a dozen events or a six-date series nearby. Each approved concert or DJ night gets €500: €250 goes to the venue or promoter, and €250 is passed directly to the performing artists on top of an already-required minimum fee (€150 for a solo act, €250 for a band). Applicants can bundle six to twenty shows into one application, tickets can't cost more than €25, and at least half the performers on the bill need to belong to one of the groups the scheme is designed to support — FLINTA*, LGBTQIA*, people affected by racism or antisemitism, or disabled artists — playing mostly their own material. Applying means submitting supporting documents through Initiative Musik's online portal between 6 and 20 October 2026; funded shows then have until the end of 2027 to happen. Funding is awarded in application order, balanced between cities and rural areas, once the diversity requirement is met.