More than a dozen MPs and over 100 event industry executives have signed a letter to the chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, copying in prime minister Boris Johnson, calling for him to implement a Government-backed insurance scheme for festival, live music and events or face them disappearing from our fields and cities for good.
The letter, written by DCMS Committee chair Julian Knight MP, follows the 5 January opening hearing of the Committee’s inquiry into the future of UK music festivals, during which festival operators emphasised the urgent need for Government support.
At a crucial point in festival planning schedules, MPs warn that organisers and investors are unable to risk repeating losses sustained in 2020 unless events can be insured against cancellation.
Calls for insurance scheme intensify in industry letter
Thursday, 7 January 2021
A number of MPs and live event specialists have signed an open letter to Rishi Sunak in a bid to save summer events and more (Photo: Hanny Naibaho)
UK - The live events industry has launched a fresh appeal for a government-backed COVID-19 insurance scheme with a letter signed by 120 sector representatives and MPs. In the letter, written by the chair of the DCMS committee Julian Knight and addressed to the chancellor Rishi Sunak, the sector - which has largely been shut down since March 2020 - warns that “[w]ithout insurance, the events we know and love simply won’t take place this year - vaccine or no vaccine”. “Sustaining losses like those we’ve seen in 2020 for another year isn’t an option, and hundreds of businesses in the events supply chain have already been forced to fold,” the letter continues. “The Government has backed insurance for the film and television industry to the