The global outbreak of COVID-19 required governments in Europe to react fast and order precautions to avoid the spreading of the virus. The measures taken restricting social gatherings in particular, creates a high degree of uncertainty among the actors of the live music sector.
The shut-down or reduction in activities in order to meet the requirements to prevent the virus from spreading, has a dramatic effect on the cultural sector, and the small live music organisers in particular. The economic situation of live music venues, clubs, and festivals is already very fragile as they are very dependent on revenues generated by audience expenses to survive. They are now under tremendous pressure and fear for their existence.
The potential loss of especially small live music organisers will have devastating effects on the whole live music ecosystem. The closing of venues, clubs, and festivals puts not only the development of the next music generation and talents at risk. It will also lead to a lack of important social gathering spaces. The role of live music stages for individual and collective emancipation must not be underestimated. They are havens of discovery and free expression, and make high efforts in being safer places for minority groups and different subcultures. We are also deeply concerned of the situation for artists and all other professionals working in the live music sector. The whole industry is affected by this sanitary crisis.
Live DMA strongly supports its members in their advocacy work on national and regional levels and encourages their cooperation with authorities in this crisis. Our work will fully focus in supporting members and other live music actors with resource, tools, and best-practice. We wish to highlight the importance of the music sector working together and in solidarity in this situation.
Live DMA welcomes the Corona Response Investment Initiative of 37 billion Euro announced by the European Commission and emergency funds initiatives announced by certain governments. Venues, clubs, and festivals represented by the Live DMA network are small and medium enterprises and vulnerable parts of our economic system that needs specific support in this particular context. In this sense, we call for concrete measures for live music organisations that can be implemented quickly.
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The Survey – Live Music Venues & Clubs in Europe – Facts & Figures, Publication January 2020 provides a detailed analysis and key numbers of live music venues and clubs across Europe. It gives insights on the fragile economic situation of these organisations.