Independent Venue Week announces first round of participating venues, bringing together more than 200 venues in 39 states and territories

Fresh off the wire. Here’s the word from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA): “Independent Venue Week proudly announces the National Independent Venue Association, the organization behind the #saveourstages movement and whose very formation was sparked by Independent Venue Week’s early organizing efforts, as a partner for #IVW21.”

Venues are still able to apply for participation in this year’s event. SAID Allison Mosshart of The Kills: “Independent venues are incredibly important to our musical history, and they are incredibly important to our future. So much great art is born on those stages, 99% of the bands you love would not have crossed your radar had independent venues not been a vital part of their journey.”

A media release noted the following:

Independent Venue Week returns July 12 – 18, 2021 bringing together venues from all across the country for a series of shows and programming in celebration of the spirit of independence. With over 200  venues in 39 states and territories already signed up, Independent Venue Week 2021 continues its rapid growth from years prior, gearing up for its largest celebration yet. Venues and promoters interested in participating can still register to partake in the festivities that coincide with the growing hopes for the budding reopening of the country’s music and entertainment venues. The venue-curated programming will be combined 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 to take place on Thursday, July 15.

A departure from last year’s digitally-focused event, the 2021 edition of Independent Venue Week is poised to return to where it belongs: inside America’s independently-owned venues. “Getting ready for this year’s event feels particularly meaningful,” says Cecilie Nielsen, Director of Special Projects at Marauder, the firm that runs Independent Venue Week in the US. “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.”

Independent Venue Week has stood shoulder to shoulder with its nation-wide community through the crisis; its early organizing efforts sparked the formation of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), with whom the event has officially partnered. “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.”