UK music industry calls for live music to be part of Prime Minister's "Roadmap" out of COVID-19 restrictions
Industry leaders and representatives are calling on the UK government to announce plans on how the industry can begin to reopen in 2021
Last updated 18th Feb 2021
Figures from across the music and nighttime industries across the UK are calling for plans to re-open the live music industry once COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease.
These calls come before Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to lay out his "roadmap" out of lockdown measures, explaining how restrictions will ease and the economy will reopen. The announcement is expected to be made on Monday the 22nd of February 2021.
UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has asked that the Prime Minister should use the opportunity to give the live music industry the "urgent clarity" it needs to plan for the year ahead, as thousands of jobs are "at risk of being lost forever".
The live music industry has practically been at a complete standstill for nearly 12 months. The industry contributes £5.8 billion a year to the UK economy and provides work for 200,000 people.
Jamie Njoku-Goodwin went onto say, “We are fast reaching a critical point for the live music industry. If festivals and large events are forced to cancel for another year, many will go under... We are not asking to reopen a moment before it is safe to do so, but if our sector is to survive through this pandemic then we require urgent clarity about the months ahead and some indication of when live music will be able to return".
Mr Njoku-Goodwin added that "A restart date for live music would be hugely welcome. The long lead time involved in planning festivals and other events makes this crucial. At the very least, we need clarity about the conditions under which we would be allowed to get live events underway again".
Similar calls have come from Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association****** (NTIA), in which he said without further support from the UK government, 2021 will see the "extinction" of nightclubs.
The NTIA has estimated that 80% of nightclub businesses not able to last beyond February. Mr. Kill has claimed that the nighttime industries need a "clear indication of the timelines for reopening against the backdrop of the vaccination rollout, to give hope to many who are overburdened with debt".
Elsewhere, a recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Night Time Economy, stated that without urgent government support, nightlife businesses face "extinction" that will see urban centres becoming "ghost towns".
Coronavirus: supporting the music community
COVID-19 is clearly having a huge impact on the music and entertainment industries. If you would like to find out what you can do to help, or if you're a member of the music community and are looking for support, you can read our guide on how to support jazz musicians and the music industry in a challenging time.