Live music companies are having to make big changes to survive unpredictable lockdown measures, mixing virtual options with physical ones for a staggered return next year.
If youโre a festival lover or music fan, youโve probably been missing the thrill of live concerts and gigs this year.
The pandemic has obliterated the live entertainment industry, so much so that the UK is now at risk of losing its status as a leader of live music and is officially on โred alertโ. Venues have reported earning an eighth of their usual income in the last six months and continually changing lockdown rules make planning for events extremely difficult.
Companies are trying to plan as best they can for next summer, however, with some festivals such as Mad Cool, Reading and Leeds, and Truck Festival already announcing headliners and selling tickets for next year. The plan is to stagger band appearances steadily and offer a mix of digital and physical experiences, with a hope to eventually phase out the current digital options.
What will festivals do next year to survive?
The live music industry needs to offer a service for customers if it wants to stay afloat, but it also has to balance financial gain with the safety of staff and attendees. Virtual experiments such as live streaming have helped bridge the gap, but theyโre not enough to replace the real thing.
According to the BBC, festival companies will enforce flexible rules when and if they return next year. A variety of nifty tech solutions are being considered to make social distancing possible, including interactive wristbands that detect if youโre too close to others and thermo scanners to check your temperature, but full festival lists and schedules wonโt be back properly until at least 2022.
Uncertainty surrounding regulations next summer is the biggest challenge for organisers, and everyone is ready to shut things down or re-arrange events at a momentโs notice. We might suppress the pandemic well enough by then to be able to mingle in large groups, or we could be in total lockdown. Itโs impossible to predict.
What are music companies doing right now to help the industry?
Various social distance experiments have taken place this year to gauge how possible it is to organise live concerts while ensuring the safety of attendees.
Weโve seen the introduction of drive-in shows in Australia that provided some bizarre scenes straight out of Pixarโs Cars back in April, as well as virtual live streams for smaller gigs. Weeklong spectacles like Burning Man have used virtual reality and hired independent artists to recreate entire venue spaces digitally, resulting in some unique experiences that werenโt available pre-Covid.
Londonโs O2 will be hosting a socially distanced show on December 5th headlined by 70s rock band Squeeze, which will reduce the usual 20,000 crowd to 4,700. Workarounds are being implemented where possible but the result is, at best, a diluted version of what youโd normally expect.
Will we see these innovations last for the long-term?
All these novelty ideas are a valiant approach to an unprecedented situation, but theyโre unlikely to truly engage festival goers in the same way as traditional shows.
Thatโs not to say they donโt have a long-term future in the industry. Virtual reality features and innovative visuals have been implemented into live music shows for decades. Daft Punkโs famous 2006 Coachella set demonstrated the full potential of using world-class tech to boost the listening experience, and Iโve no doubt that artists will continue to welcome streaming and virtual gigs as a viable option, especially if they offer additional sources of income.
Streaming doesnโt cater to as wide of an audience as stadium shows or weekend events and canโt fully replace the real thing though, letโs be honest. You donโt get an equal experience watching a gig on your laptop. Where are all the pints being thrown around and dodgy food carts selling ambiguous products? If I canโt tipsily dance around while being mud covered in a field it just isnโt the same.
These solutions are a great way to keep the lights on for now, but wonโt ever be able to outright replace normal concerts. Who knows, we could see more virtual reality and app integration used in future shows when things go back to normal. Some big artist like Eminem were already playing around with this idea before it all hit the fan, and its increased use in 2020 could make it more popular in the coming years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjeONH8UWY
For now we should expect some events to take place as usual next year, albeit a bit smaller with far more social distancing rules in place. They could be postponed or cancelled at any time, and weโll all have to order tickets with bated breath.
But, hey, at least we may get some music shows next year, which is far better than 2020 has offered.
Iโm Charlie (He/Him), a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, Iโm a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
The ban has already been lifted after drawing widespread public criticism.
Last week, Serigne Fall Guรจye, director of the Grand Thรฉรขtre de Dakar, introduced a swift and surprising ban on wigs, weaves, hair extensions and skin-lightening products. The move was officially framed as part of a cultural revival โ a means of returning to โpan-African valuesโ and reasserting a sense of African pride whilst preserving the theatreโs cultural heritage.
But the...
Africa's creative wave is the strongest it's ever been, and the world is paying attention.
As the pandemic ended, a global appetite for rawness and newness emerged, and Africa's artistic expressions are breaking away from the tired stereotypes to tell a different story, from the nightclubs of Lagos to the fashion houses of Paris, and everyhere in between.
African music, fashion, and art are coming into their own, changing the global...
James Gunnโs highly anticipated Superman film has not only revived the iconic hero but also ignited a political firestorm, particularly among right-wing Americans.
The debut of the new Superman film last week sparked global excitement, with many reconnecting with their sense of childhood wonder. This did not go without a major debate about who envisioned Superman the best, Zack Snyder or James Gunn.
Admittedly, each director brought a unique creative approach...
More celebrities are facing the public consequences for their morally deplorable actions, dispelling the culture of idolatry that presents famous people as a moral guide. However, a culture of racism and misogyny is still allowing culpable white men to evade the consequences of their actions.
Earlier this month, hip-hop artist Sean โDiddyโ Combs was convicted on โtwo counts of transportation for prostitutionโ
As Combsโ prosecution shows, fame doesnโt always protect...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.