With estimates spanning more than 25% of performances have already been canceled this year, the live music industry in the United Kingdom has appealed to the government for further assistance.
According to a new poll conducted by the trade association LIVE (as reported by Music Week), more than a quarter of live concerts were canceled in the first three months of 2022.
As a result of cancellations, the sector has once again requested a list of assistance measures from the government.
Help needed
In particular, these include maintaining the re-use rate of VAT on tickets, removing barriers on transportation to guarantee tours may continue, and settling the government insurance program to provide financial assistance to the business in the case of cancellations.
In addition, public confidence has eroded as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
LIVE CEO Greg Parmley stated that while it is "wonderful news" that live music venue restrictions will be lifted in the UK at the end of January, the industry continues to face "serious challenges".
Parmley added that the impact of the past two years had been "catastrophic" for many stakeholders involved.
These include the venue owners, artists, freelancers, and technical personnel who power the £4.5 billion worth sector.
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The plea
The LIVE Ceo also asks the public support to live music, saying that they can "get through this difficult period together" if people continue to #GoLocal and see small acts on small venues despite the lack of a bigger venue.
Before chancellor Rishi Sunak announced, a £1 billion support plan for companies affected by the recent COVID rise, music venues and nightclub employees said they were "on the brink of collapse".
The package included one-off grants of £6,000, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, and an additional £30million for the previously announced Cultural Recovery Fund.
An extra £30 million was allocated to the previously announced Cultural Recovery Fund, in addition to one-time awards of £6,000 and the reintroduction of a Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.
The restoration comes as UK music venues are already facing £90 million of debt due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
The Music Managers Forum and the Featured Artists Coalition said in a statement that they were "overwhelmingly concerned" that the new restrictions have "nothing for artists and live industry professionals" affected by the pandemic.
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