UK Music today publishes its Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer
2021 report, which outlines a clear strategy to protect and
support the multi-billion pound live music industry so it is
ready to restart when safe to do so later this year.
The ground-breaking report (attached) sets out the economic,
social and cultural value of live music, along with a blueprint
for reviving live music after Covid-19 forced the effective
closure of the sector last March.
In particular, it warns that the lack of Covid cancellation
insurance available is the biggest barrier to major events
happening in 2021, and calls for Government to introduce an
insurance scheme as it did for the film and TV sector.
It is published ahead of UK Music Chief Executive Jamie
Njoku-Goodwin’s scheduled appearance today to give evidence at
the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select
Committee’s inquiry into music festivals.
The report’s publication will be coupled with an S.O.S call from
UK Music to “Save Our Summer 2021” with the campaign hashtag
#SaveOurSummer2021.
It comes amid mounting calls on the Government for clarity from
organisers of world-leading events like Glastonbury, grassroots
venue operators and the music industry’s workforce of almost
200,000 about how live music can be swiftly and safely restarted.
The music industry has worked hard to make event spaces as safe
as they can possibly be. This includes launching testing pilots
to be able to hold mass events safely, working with government to
develop guidance for how to hold events safely, and looking at
new ventilation and air purification systems that would
dramatically reduce the risk of transmission. But there is no
certainty about when the industry will be allowed to hold mass
events once again.
While the Government’s £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund has
been welcome in supporting the sector through the worst of the
pandemic, the live music sector urgently needs to be able to plan
for the post-pandemic period and the peak summer season.
With its pre-Covid contribution to the UK economy of £5.8
billion, the music industry can play a leading role in
galvanising the UK’s post-pandemic recovery strategy when the
time comes – but it needs time and support to prepare.
The economic benefits of festivals are spread across the whole of
the UK and they are vital to supporting local economies and
regional growth. Festival attendance grew in 2019 - up by 6% to
5.2 million in 2019 from 4.9 million in 2018, according to UK
Music’s figures.
However, the pandemic resulted in a 90.2% drop in revenue for
festivals in 2020 with fears of redundancies of up to 50% in the
workforce, according to the Association of Independent Festivals.
When live music suffers, the whole music industry suffers. The
impact has been felt across the industry. Up to 80% of music
creators’ income in 2020 will be lost. There are fears up to 71%
of musicians are either actively considering leaving the sector
or are unsure if they will continue according to a survey by the
Musicians’ Union.
The Music Venue Trust estimated that Covid-19 restrictions
reduced capacities by 75% at Grassroots Music Venues, cut trading
hours by 50 to 75%, limited both performances and performers, and
introduced heavy additional costs on venues.
UK Music’s Let The Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021 report
includes a clear plan for the Government to help the live music
sector get back in business as soon as possible.
The key calls for action in the report are:
• An indicative date for a full capacity restart
• A Government-backed indemnity scheme
• Targeted financial support for the sector
• Extension to the VAT rate reduction on tickets
• Rollover of the paid 2020 Local Authority licence fees
for festivals to 2021
• Extension to business rates relief
UK Music Chief Executive said:
“While this pandemic is still raging and continues to cause
devastation to lives and livelihoods today, there is an endpoint
in sight. Government is rolling out the vaccine and is openly
speculating about returning to normal by the spring – but there
is a serious risk that even if this proves to be a reality, lack
of notice and available insurance options will mean much of the
2021 summer music season can’t go ahead.
“In this report, UK Music is putting forward a clear plan for
recovery: what we need to do to get the live performance sector
back up on its feet again in 2021. But the clock is ticking, and
any day soon we could see major festivals and events start
pulling the plug for lack of certainty.
“With the right support the live music industry can be at the
forefront of the post-pandemic recovery and play a key role in
our country’s economic and cultural revival – but there will need
to be a concerted effort from industry and the Government
together if we are to let the music play and save our summer.”
