Independent Venue Week reveals full 2022 program in United States

Independent Venue Week has revealed the full program for its annual United States edition, taking place this month.

• READ MORE: US live music scene: “Without government support, you won’t have independent venues in America”

From July 11-17, venues in all 50 states and Washington D.C. will take part in the festivities as part of the event’s fifth year in America.

Over 400 venues will be involved, with Cecilie Nielsen of organisers Marauder saying: “We launched in the States with only 20 venues. Independent Venue Week is now the largest national event celebrating independent live music, comedy, and performing arts around the world.

“No longer is the locally owned or operated room or festival solely on their own; this event serves to unite the individuals within our many communities, reminding those on and in front of the stage what makes these places so special, and of course worthy of a week-long celebration.”

The ambassador for this year’s United States IVW will be Big Freedia, who will play a closing party at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, Ohio on July 12.

Elsewhere, Spoon will play at The Englert Theatre in Iowa City, Japanese Breakfast and The Linda Lindas will perform at Minnesota’s First Avenue and The Mountain Goats will play the Wave venue in Wichita as part of over 1,000 shows.

See the full program for next week’s events below, with more information here.

Amazing to see the full programme for #IVW22 in the US, with more than 400 venues in all 50 states and D.C. set to participate

What a week they are set to have for their big 5th anniversary, sending all our love to the @IVW_US team

Head to the US site and check it out pic.twitter.com/U0hZStzxTR

— Independent Venue Week (@IVW_UK) July 6, 2022

Back in February, independent venue owners, associations, and touring artists spoke to NME about what the US live music community still needs from the US government to survive this stage of the ongoing pandemic.

With ticketholder no-show rates reaching a high of 50 per cent last month and the National Independent Venue Foundation recently relaunching its Emergency Relief Fund, venues and artists told us they are still facing show cancelations, financial challenges, and health risks associated with COVID.

Looking back on how his venue endured the past two years, Bruce Finkelman, owner of Chicago’s The Empty Bottle told NME: “I think our perseverance as a people and as a music scene has been amazing.”

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