Musicians like Bono, Hozier, Christy Moore, and Andrea Corr have all signed their names on an open letter calling for better Government support of the live music and entertainment industry.

Those working in the Irish music and entertainment industries feel as though they have been left behind in the national response to the coronavirus pandemic, with Extra.ie taking steps to help out struggling musicians with our weekly Extra Sessions gigs.

Now over 600 signatures have been included in an open letter to the Government which sees Irish talent demanding ‘appropriate and unprecedented support’, with the letter published as part of National Awareness Week for the Live Entertainment & Event Industry in Ireland.

The letter seeks grant funding proportionate to what has been allocated to the Arts Council in 2020 and ‘immediate reinstatement of the EWSS and PUP payment at €350 per week until the sector is up and running again’.

It also asks for ‘parity of voice’ with the Government Taskforce for the recovery of the Arts and Culture sector.

The entertainment and live event industry in Ireland employs 35,000 full-time and part-time workers, accounting for 90% of the five million tickets sold in the country each year.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, these workers have been left jobless for the foreseeable future — as was highlighted during this week’s awareness campaign.

Music venues like the Aviva Stadium, the 3Arena, and Croke Park have been lit up in red this week as part of the demonstration.

Signed off by acts like The Coronas, Daniel O’Donnell, Daire O’Briain, and Panti Bliss, the letter reads: ‘We are the best nights of your lives.

‘We are the dynamic problem solvers who bring the magic to the most difficult of circumstances. Most importantly, we are contributors; we have always given back.

‘In this unprecedented crisis, reluctantly for the first time, we must ask: we need government support for our industry and we need it immediately.’

If you are looking to see bands playing on stage then log on the Extra Sessions every Thursday at 8pm to see the best in Ireland talent. State Lights were this week’s act and the gig can be viewed online until Sunday at midnight.