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Tim Peacock
Brits could be going to concerts as soon as this summer, but it’s still the worst of times for continental promoters facing pandemic restrictions.
LONDON In February, when the United Kingdom suffered its third national lockdown, Prime Minister
Boris Johnson told the beleaguered live sector that concerts could resume after June 21 without restrictions if certain virus-related health conditions are met. Within days, two of the United Kingdom’s biggest festivals the 185,000-capacity dual-site Reading and Leeds festivals headlined by Liam Gallagher, Stormzy and Post Malone, and the 70,000-capacity Creamfields sold out their late-August dates. Since then, nearly two-thirds of British adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, and U.K. shows scheduled for July and beyond are reporting strong ticket sales, fueling optimism that Europe’s largest touring market will at least partially reopen by mid-summer.
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Now, European festival bosses and artists have added to the concern and anger from artists and music industry bosses, calling on the government to “take this seriously and fix it”– as well as spelling out that the current lack of arrangements could mean less and less UK acts being booked for festivals across the channel.
Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches performs on the Heineken Stage during day 1 of Lowlands Festival 2016 on August 19, 2016 in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands. (Photo by Andrew Benge/Redferns)
Eric Van Eerdenburg is director of the legendary Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands and a former tour manager for acts across the UK and Europe. Speaking to NME, he said that the new extra costs, visa issues, carnets, paperwork and bureaucracy would prove “horrible and very limiting” for UK artists.