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Live event venues cannot operate profitably with reduced capacity restrictions in place during a gradual lifting of lockdown this spring, and further government support for live event professionals will be needed for another four months until lockdown is completely over.
This was the response of the Production Services Association, which represents companies supporting the live music and entertainment industry, to a four-step plan released by the British government yesterday. The plan will see lockdown gradually lifted in four steps which will take place between 8 March and 21 June at the earliest. While the UK has suffered one of the heaviest per capita death tolls to date from Covid-19, the speed of its vaccination programme is one of the most advanced in the world, giving hope for reopening.
In step three of the plan, which will begin no earlier than 17 May, some large events including conferences, theatre and concert performances and sports events will be permitted with limits on attendance, set using total attendance levels or percentages of a venue’s capacity, whichever is lower to apply. Step three allows for controlled indoor events of up to 1,000 people or 50% of a venue’s capacity, and for outdoor events of up to 4,000 people or 50% of a venue’s capacity. Large, outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be safely distributed, will be allowed up to 10,000 people or 25% of total seated capacity.
In addition, pilot studies will begin in April, as part of an Events Research Programme to examine how these events can take place without the need for social distancing using other “mitigations” such as testing. The full lifting of restrictions on live events, in step four of the plan which can begin no earlier than 21 June, will depend on the results of these studies.
In a statement issued yesterday the Production Services Association, which is working with 12 other trade associations in a LIVE campaign, said: “After almost a year of total closure for the live music industry, today’s long-awaited roadmap from the Prime Minister has provided some clarity on when we will be able to return, yet there is still uncertainty on the financial support that is needed while the industry remains closed.
The roadmap puts a “not before date” of 17 May for live events and states there will still be requirements for limited capacity and social distancing. It will not be until at least 21 June before we might be able to return to any form of normality. The economics of the live music industry means under these conditions it is simply not viable for the live music industry to reopen for many months. The joy of live music is created through people coming together to share that experience – and the economic model means that operating at greatly reduced capacities is simply not viable.