Operators of major venues, including Liverpool’s 11,000-capacity M&S Bank Arena (pictured), are among 35 organisations to benefit from grants of between £1 million and £3m in the third round of the government’s Culture Recovery Fund (CRF).

The recipient of one of the biggest grants (£2,972,659), The ACC Liverpool Group operates the ACC Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool and ticketing agency Ticket Quarter. Meanwhile, the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust which operates the 1,850-capacity Birmingham Hippodrome has been awarded the maximum grant of £3m.

BH Live, which runs venues in the south east including Bournemouth International Centre, Croydon Fairfield Halls and the Bournemouth Pavilion, has been awarded £2,499,531, while the operator of London nightclub Fabric stands to receive a grant of £1,514,262. North Music Trust, which manages the 1,700-capacity Sage Gateshead, has been granted £1.8m.

The Sheffield Theatre Trust, which includes the Crucible Theatre, will receive £2,246,000.

Suppliers to benefit are Liverpool-based Adlib Audio (£1,650,356) and Darwen’s Control Rigging Productions (£1,076,179), the latter has worked on projects including Ed Sheeran’s Divide World Tour.

The DCMS said 70% (£52m) of the £75m third round CRF funding had been awarded to organisations outside London. It brings the total to more than £500m, with 2,500 cultural organisations and venues having benefitted.

Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, which administers the CRF, said: “[The CRF] has provided a lifeline that will allow these organisations to continue to play an integral role in their communities and produce new artistic work that will entertain and inspire us all. This latest funding, which are the largest grants to date, will support some of the country’s most loved and admired cultural spaces.”

BH Live CEO Chris Symons said: “We are incredibly grateful for this financial lifeline. We will be able to retain some of our talented team and bring forward essential investment in service and event technology which is now needed more than ever. It will enable us to meet ongoing costs while our venues are in hibernation and assist us in getting our venues ready and Covid-secure – providing essential reassurance for our customers and colleagues.”

The full list of recipients is available here.