Live music venues will take centre stage for Melbourne Music Week in November, with the City of Melbourne announcing the festival will help spark our recovery from COVID-19.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said Expressions of Interest are now open for local musicians, venues and promoters to take part in the five day event.
"We're breaking with tradition by not creating a Melbourne Music Week hub and will instead hold key events in bars and entertainment venues across the city. There will be free and ticketed events to support our hospitality businesses," the Lord Mayor said.
"We want people to safely return to our venues and enjoy Melbourne's famous live music scene. I'm thrilled that we'll showcase a 100 per cent Australian and New Zealand line-up for the first time ever."
The five-day event will be held between Wednesday 18 and Sunday 22 November 2020 - with a condensed program that will allow for flexibility based on social distancing restrictions.
"The new format will allow us to remain flexible and adaptable, as we work with venues on best practice health and safety requirements to keep everyone safe," the Lord Mayor said.
Chair of the Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio, Councillor Rohan Leppert, said live music contributes $1.7 billion a year to Victoria's economy and creates 42,000 jobs.
"The virus has devastated Melbourne's music scene - with musicians, venues and promoters affected by cancellations and job losses. It's more important than ever that we bring people and music back into the city," Cr Leppert said.
"Live Performance Australia conservatively estimates that more than 200,000 people have lost income and work as a result of the pandemic."
"This year's event will have a focus on nurturing our grassroots music industry and celebrating Melbourne's music community."
"While the event is still several months away, we are planning now so I would encourage everyone to complete an expression of interest."
Applications are open for all types of events, from performances to collaborations, talks and workshops through to multimedia installations and commissioned works. Music industry practitioners, individuals, groups, businesses and venues are invited to submit an expression of interest before 10pm Sunday 28 June 2020.
Depending on the requirements of applications, the City of Melbourne may also assist with permitting, provide support associated with securing and running a venue, assist in staging and AV, or manage the overall production and operations of the event or concept.
