Lockdown easing delay could “irreversibly damage” UK live music industry

Live music organisation LIVE say the potential delay in lockdown easing in the UK would be “devastating” for the live music industry, and could see live music “being left behind and irreversibly damaged”.

A decision from Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due tomorrow (June 14) on whether to delay the planned scrapping of coronavirus restrictions on June 21.

After figures showed that the rumoured delay could see over 5,000 events cancelled, LIVE CEO Greg Parmley says they want “transparency” from the government on the process.

Parmley said: “The briefing we are seeing of a delay to our reopening later this month is devastating to the live music industry. Our research shows that a delay of a month would lead to the cancellation of over 5,000 planned events costing our industry hundreds of millions of pounds.

“Live music fears being left behind and irreversibly damaged as countries such as the Netherlands, Demark, Israel, the United States and Belgium announce they will begin running large full-capacity live events this summer.”

Blossoms at the Liverpool Sefton Park COVID pilot gig. Photo: Ben Bentley for NME

He added: “The Government said the Events Research Programme would give us the evidence we needed to open safely. We have spent the last three months participating in, and paying for, full capacity pilot events that gave us this evidence.

“To protect the future of our industry we are calling for full transparency from the Government, for them to release the full report that proves how we can open safely and to work with us to give everyone the summer of music we all want.”

Meanwhile, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has vowed to challenge the UK government if the remaining coronavirus restrictions are not lifted on the provisional date of June 21.

The NTIA have said it will pursue legal action if night time economy venues – many of which have been shuttered for over 15 months – do not reopen for the return of live events on June 21.

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