Congress Approved $15 Billion to Save Entertainment Venues – Why Has Not a Penny Been Spent So Far?

Available to WrapPRO members

Indie cinemas, music venues and museums have waited two months and counting for the Small Business Administration to start sending out grants

save our stages pandemic concert theater
Getty Images

Lobbyists for the entertainment industry cheered a $15 billion bailout for music venues and other independent entertainment outlets closed by the pandemic, which Congress passed in late December and President Trump signed into law in January. But relief has turned to frustration, as not a single penny from the Save Our Stages Act has been sent out yet. “We honestly don’t know how much longer we’re going to have to wait,” said Audrey Schaefer of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a group created during the pandemic to lobby for federal aid. “Thousands of live venues need the money fast, and for many others it’s now too late.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.