Live gigs in Britain are back – but you’ll need a car

LONDON (Reuters) – There won’t be any moshing going on, but entertainment company Live Nation Entertainment is rolling out a series of gigs across the UK where fans can be together to get their fix of live events from the safety of their own designated areas.

Known for staging A-list music stars’ concerts and festivals such as Wireless and Reading and Leeds, Live Nation says artists just want to get back on stage, and it hopes Utilita Live From The Drive-In will be a way they can do just that.

“You know we can do all of these streams, we can do everything on Facebook... which is great. But there is nothing that compares to you seeing your favorite musician or band on that stage,” Live Nation promoter Peter Taylor said.

There will be a mix of gigs, including live music from artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Kaiser Chiefs and The Streets, as well as science show Brainiac Live, staged across 12 UK venues in cities including London, Birmingham and Edinburgh this summer.

A maximum of 300 cars will be allowed at each show, meaning both organizers and artists have had to make some profound changes to their way of doing things.

“That’s going to feel very kind of imitate in terms of what we’re used to if you go into an arena or stadium,” said Taylor.

“We have our artists who are working to a very different financial model than what they normally would. A lot of them are doing kind of different versions of their show,” he said.

Many live concerts around the world have had to be canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Taylor says that Utilita Live From The Drive-In will be a good source of employment for the whole industry: “It’s been about making sure that our ecosystem can be supported as much as possible.”

Taylor said the company has been able to postpone some of its bigger tours, such as upcoming shows from musician Harry Styles and Dua Lipa, to 2021 and is still able to sell tickets for these shows.