#YouTube Music and NIVA Announce New Virtual Festival to Benefit Independent Venues

YouTube Music and the National Independent Venues Association (NIVA) have announced #SOSFest, a new virtual live streamed festival to benefit various independent venues across the United States that will take place October 16—18. Hosted by Reggie Watts, the fest will feature performances by artists like Brittany Howard, Foo Fighters, Phoebe Bridgers, FINNEAS, Miley Cyrus, Dave Matthews,  Portgual the Man, the Roots, YG, Major Lazer, and more. The performances will be shot at over 25 venues across the country, including the Troubadour in Los Angeles, the Apollo Theater in New York City, and Exit/In in Nashville, among many others. Check out the full list of artists below. The stream kicks off here at 8 p.m. Eastern on October 16.

Earlier this week, NIVA issued a statement in response to Donald Trump’s October 6 announcement that he was calling off stimulus talks (an announcement that has since been seemingly walked back). “We have been sounding the alarm since April that if our members don’t get emergency assistance, they will go under forever—and it’s happening,” the statement read. “This is real. We need help. We urge Congress and the White House to continue negotiations and reach a deal quickly or there will be a mass collapse of this industry.”

Read “Is There a Safe Way to Throw Socially Distanced Shows?” over on the Pitch.