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“Today’s budget is focused on helping live music survive the long months of closure that still lie ahead,” said Greg Parmley, CEO of UK music trade organization LIVE, “and we desperately need it.”
Last month, the UK became the first major music market in Europe to unveil a detailed roadmap for its live sector to resume operations. Limited-capacity concerts can return from May 17 and all social distancing restrictions will be lifted on June 21, provided COVID-19 infection rates continue to drop and there is no lapses into the UK immunization program.
Lucy noble, president of the National Arenas Association, welcomed the new measures, but said the government’s ignoring calls for an insurance scheme for promoters, venue and festival organizers, similar to COVID-related insurance plans already in place, was a “big concern.” through Europe.
“What the whole living industry wants is to be able to trade safely out of this situation,” Noble said.
Nine in ten UK festival organizers say they cannot run their events without a viable insurance scheme, according to the Association of Independent Festivals. For a festival taking place in early July, around 40% of the total costs would have to be paid by mid-June and the average cost of hosting a festival in the UK is 6 million euros (8.4 million dollars), according to the AIF.
Paul reed, CEO of AIF, said it was vital that the government introduce an insurance scheme for live events by the end of March in order to “avoid massive cancellations across the market. festivals in the UK ”.
“The clock is ticking when it comes to staging live musical events this summer,” said Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, Managing Director of the UK Music umbrella organization.
The Glastonbury and Download festivals, which were both scheduled for June, have already canceled their 2021 editions, although organizers of the Creamfields and Reading / Leeds festivals (both scheduled for late August) have said their events are continuing.
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