Lockdown hits bum note with music and sport fans
Promoters meet minister but prospect of extended restrictions makes cancellations imminent
THE extension of lockdown restrictions is expected to lead to a flurry of event cancellations and postponements in the coming weeks, including those that had been pushed forward from last year.
Promoters and officials are pointing towards the cancellation of Glastonbury and other major UK festivals as a sign of things to come here, leading to the postponement or cancellation of huge summer gigs and events.
The repercussions will also be felt at smaller venues, with elite and amateur sport also likely to be impacted during the early parts of the summer.
Last week, the GAA revealed the Government had clarified Gaelic games were not covered by an elite sport exemption within Level 5 restrictions, which is likely to affect the running of football and hurling seasons.
Meanwhile, the Government is also considering how ongoing restrictions will affect Dublin’s hosting of the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 championship fixtures in June, with it becoming increasingly unlikely supporters will be able to attend matches. There is ongoing dialogue with UEFA on the matter.
At a lower level, amateur sporting events such as the Ring of Kerry charity cycle have already been postponed, and announcements on the staging of similar events are expected soon.
Culture Minister Catherine Martin met concert promoters last week to discuss the implications of extended lockdowns on the events and entertainment industry.
During the virtual meeting with MCD Production’s Denis Desmond and Justin Green, Live Nation Ireland chief executive Mike Adamson and others as part of the Venue Operators and Promoters Forum, industry representatives sought clarity on timelines for the eventual easing of restrictions and engagement on how
Covid-19 is impacting the sector.
Sources said they also raised concerns about insurance renewals and ticketing. They are expected to have further meetings with officials at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in the coming weeks.
A spokesman for the department said it was too soon to speak about specific concerts, shows or festivals, but the likelihood of entertainment events taking place this summer depended on public health restrictions at the time. He said the Government’s priority was reopening schools and the building sector. “Minister Catherine Martin met with promoters and venue operators last week and her department is committed to ongoing engagement with them to allow the sector to plan for reopening when it is safe to do so,” the spokesman said. “The Minister has supported the sector through a range of additional measures, including a record allocation to the Arts Council of €130m for 2021 as well as an allocation of €50m for live entertainment supports, secured for this year.
“The Minister will announce plans in respect of this funding shortly, following an assessment of the outcome of the pilot €5m scheme which supported hundreds of gigs and other events online in December Decem
and January.
“There are a number of supports available to all sectors across the economy both in terms of income supports such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, as well as the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme for venues which are closed and the recently announced Covid Business Aid Scheme.” The department is looking to support a number of smaller cultural events around the country through the summer in popular urban areas and places where people meet, such as Temple Bar in Dublin. Promoters say they are increasingly weary of making announcements on staging or postponing summer events until they have further clarity from the Government.
Lockdown measures currently in place were to be lifted on March 5 but are now likely to be extended by the Government until April 12, with only schools and construction set to resume in this period.
Reopening the country is then set to adhere to a revised Living with Covid Plan that is currently being drafted by Government.
However, an entertainment industry source said promoters were coming under pressure from international artists to announce and confirm shows. They are also aware that Covid-19 has decimated the sector, leaving thousands of events staff without work for almost a year.
They said extending Level 5 restrictions until Easter means it will not be possible to run events through May, June and July while the country is reopening.
“If the lockdown is extended, as it is currently being suggested, there won’t be any events,” the source said. “There won’t be any sporting events either.
“Big artists who I know need things to happen because they are broke. There are crew members and staff members who are being let off. They turn and tell their kids ‘it’ll be OK in the summer’.
“Earlier in the year there was great optimism around the vaccine and some hope, but slowly and surely that has been knocked out.”
‘Earlier, there was great optimism around the vaccine, but slowly and surely that has been knocked out’