GigPig Secures Corporate VC Investment From Best Nights VC to Expand Into Ireland
•February 16, 2026
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Why It Matters
The move validates GigPig’s scalable model and signals growing investor confidence in tech‑enabled live‑music ecosystems, while offering Irish hospitality venues a proven tool to increase revenue and customer engagement.
Key Takeaways
- •GigPig expands to Ireland, first international market
- •Backed by Best Nights VC, Mast‑Jägermeister’s VC arm
- •Platform serves 3,000 UK venues, 18,000 artists
- •Live music boosts venue spend up to 89%, footfall 36%
- •Seed venues get unified booking system
Pulse Analysis
GigPig’s rapid adoption across the United Kingdom illustrates how a single‑pane‑of‑glass solution can resolve the fragmented live‑music booking process that has long plagued hospitality operators. By consolidating scheduling, payment and promotion, the platform not only reduces administrative overhead but also unlocks ancillary revenue streams, as evidenced by the £24 million generated for artists and the £7 million saved in venue booking fees. These efficiencies have helped establish a new category of "seed" venues—pubs, bars and hotels that serve as first‑stage platforms for emerging talent—thereby strengthening the broader music ecosystem.
The infusion of capital from Best Nights VC, the investment arm of spirits giant Mast‑Jägermeister, underscores a broader trend of consumer‑brand funds targeting experiences that drive foot traffic and brand loyalty. Live music, a proven catalyst for higher spend—up to 89% per visit—and longer dwell times, aligns with the VC’s mandate to power IRL (in‑real‑life) connections. Ireland’s vibrant music heritage and dense network of independent venues present a low‑friction market for GigPig’s rollout, offering a testbed for refining cross‑border features such as multi‑currency payments and localized marketing tools.
Looking ahead, GigPig’s Irish launch serves as a springboard for further European expansion, positioning the company to capture market share in regions where live‑music culture is integral to nightlife economies. For venue operators, the platform promises a data‑driven approach to programming, enabling them to match audience preferences with artist line‑ups and optimize revenue. As the hospitality sector continues to rebound post‑pandemic, technology that bridges the gap between artists and venues will become increasingly vital, making GigPig a strategic asset for both investors and the live‑entertainment industry at large.
Deal Summary
GigPig, the UK live music marketplace, announced it will expand into Ireland after receiving investment from Best Nights VC, the venture arm of Mast‑Jägermeister SE. The funding will support its first international rollout in Dublin and Belfast, though the amount was not disclosed.
Article
Source: Irish Tech News
GigPig, the UK’s leading live music marketplace, will expand into Ireland in early 2026 – its first international rollout – following investment from Best Nights VC.
Best Nights VC, the venture capital investment unit of Mast-Jägermeister SE, has backed GigPig to accelerate expansion into new markets. The Ireland launch will begin in Dublin and Belfast, with GigPig working closely with independent venues, multi-site pub groups, hotels and local artists to build a strong, locally rooted network for live music.
GigPig is already used by more than 3,000 venues and 18,000 artists across the UK. Since 2023, the platform has facilitated 120,000 gigs, saving hospitality venues £7m in booking fees and generating £24m for artists.
On average, hospitality venues that host live music increase customer spend by up to 89%, footfall by 36%, 61% in dwell time and see a 48% uplift in repeat visits (Source: CGA Live Music Index)
Kit Muir-Rogers, Co-Founder of GigPig, said:
“We launched GigPig with the belief that live music shouldn’t be confined to dedicated venues – that any hospitality space can be a stage. We’ve proven the case in the UK, bringing more live music to pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants, and helping to establish a seed music venue movement. Ireland has one of the strongest live music cultures in the world, and hospitality venues sit right at the heart of that. We want to support that culture with better tools and a simpler way for venues and artists to connect. This is the natural next step for GigPig and an important milestone as we begin to scale internationally.”
Lorrain, Managing Director at Best Nights VC, said: “GigPig is bringing people back together in real life. In a world dominated by digital experiences, their platform doesn’t just make live music easier to access – it creates moments where artists, audiences and communities can truly connect. This is exactly the kind of impact Best Nights VC champions: businesses that power meaningful IRL experiences and strengthen the nightlife economy and entertainment culture. We’re excited to support GigPig as they internationalise and continue turning nights out into real human connections.”
Founded in 2022, GigPig was created to solve a long-standing challenge in hospitality: while live music drives footfall, atmosphere and spend, the process of booking and managing it is often time-consuming, inconsistent and expensive.
GigPig provides hospitality operators with a single platform to book, manage, pay for and promote live music, replacing fragmented processes with one system across operations, finance and marketing.
In close partnership with operators and stakeholders across the UK hospitality sector, GigPig has also helped define and establish the seed music venue sector — the pubs, bars and hospitality spaces that provide artists with their first paid stages. Seed music venues form the foundation of the live music ecosystem, but were fragmented prior to GigPig’s launch, leaving their contribution to the wider music industry largely unrecognised.
Venues and artists interested in joining the platform ahead of launch are encouraged to register at GigPig.ie. Further European expansion is planned following a successful rollout in Ireland.
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