Northern Ireland artists with real momentum behind them have one week left to apply for one of the biggest career grants in UK music. The PPL Momentum Music Fund closes at 6pm on Monday, 26th October 2026. Run by PRS Foundation with PPL, and backed here by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Momentum offers…
People working in music now have a new, independent place to raise concerns about bullying, harassment and discrimination. The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) officially opened its online reporting service on 13th October 2026, covering music, film, TV and theatre. CIISA was set up to tackle the long-standing problem of harmful behaviour in the…
Two of the quickest, most practical funds around for working musicians are open again from today. Help Musicians’ Fast Track and its new sister scheme, Fast Track Live, are both taking applications until 20th November 2026, and artists across Northern Ireland are eligible. Fast Track offers up to £500 to help you seize an opportunity…
Belfast’s biggest celebration of homegrown music is back. Oh Yeah Music Centre has announced the full programme for Sound of Belfast 2026, running from Thursday 5th to Sunday 15th November across venues throughout the city. This year’s festival opens with a nod to one of the most important chapters in the city’s musical history. Stuart…
One of the most practical pots of support in the NI music calendar is back. The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival has reopened its Music Bursaries for 2026-27, with twenty awards of £1,000 each available to musicians and bands based here: £20,000 in total, aimed squarely at getting new music made. Hosted in partnership with Belfast…
NI artists have a fresh shot at touring support, with the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) confirming that Phase Two of the UK Artist Touring (UKAT) fund opens for applications on Wednesday, 26th August. The scheme, backed by the LIVE Trust – which redistributes £1 donations collected from tickets sold at shows of 5,000 capacity and…
As part of this year’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, Daegu four-piece Inaekkum come to Ulster Sports Club on Thursday 30th April for a Belfast City of Music-presented show rooted in the ongoing UNESCO City of Music exchange between Belfast and Daegu. Ahead of their first ever UK visit, the band spoke to Music Connections about…
A new global support platform for artists has just launched, and for NI’s ever-resourceful music community, it lands at a moment that feels both timely and necessary. Artist Ally, created by Music Ally, is designed to help artists and producers build sustainable careers in an industry that increasingly demands they be everything, everywhere, all at…
Applications are now open for the first phase of the new UK Artist Touring Fund (UKAT), a scheme designed to help UK-based artists manage the rising costs of touring and keep more live shows on the road. The fund has been launched by the Featured Artists Coalition in partnership with the Music Managers Forum and…
Music Venue Trust has published its 2025 Annual Report, and this year’s data includes a genuinely important development for Northern Ireland: for the first time, there is sufficient, NI-specific evidence to properly represent grassroots music venues here within the UK-wide statistics. With financial support from Belfast City Council, Music Venue Trust invested resources in a…