Music Conference

As vaccination programmes ramp up and Covid infection rates fall, event organisers around the world are working on test events to prove to authorities – and themselves – that the live entertainment sector can reopen safely, without contributing to a new wave of coronavirus cases. IQ’s news team reports.

Historically, the live music business has relied on an army of creative minds to deliver oncein-a-lifetime experiences for fans, but as the industry slowly starts to emerge from an enforced shutdown, professionals are turning to the scientific community to help kick-start live events.

Statisticians and epidemiologists have been key players in government policy to put a lid on the spread of Covid-19, and with international studies proving that various vaccines are even more effective than originally thought, the events industry is hoping scientists can help map out the best way to reintroduce live entertainment to society.

In the UK, such high-profile occasions as the

BRIT Awards on 11 May and the FA Cup Final on 15 May are being touted as potential test events to showcase various Covid-safe systems, procedures and products that will help pave the way to arenas and stadia reopening.

Details of the UK’s Event Research Programme test events were imminent at IQ’s press time, but it is expected the city of Liverpool will be used to trial the full return of audiences in the likes of nightclubs, comedy clubs and conference centres, while the World Snooker Championship (17 April to 3 May) at the Crucible venue in Sheffield, will be used to trial a theatre setting.

Across the North Sea in the Netherlands, a series of test events are being run by Fieldlab Events, a government-backed initiative that has represented the events sector during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fieldlab is a joint initiative from the events sector, united with the EventPlatform, the Alliance of Event Builders, and the government, along with science and health bodies. Its test events have included festivals, concerts, conferences and football matches. Indeed, the Dutch government gave the green light for the national football team’s 27 March FIFA World Cup qualifier against Latvia. The match, at Amsterdam’s 55,500-capacity Johan Cruijff ArenA, was configured to welcome a maximum of 5,000 fans.

Elsewhere, test events have already been held in Spain; programmes are being discussed in the likes of Denmark and Greece (where a collaboration of rap acts are working on a solution); while in Germany, a group of scientists, health experts and doctors have created a set of guidelines to enable the gradual return of audiences to cultural and sporting events. At the same time, numerous test events have been scheduled as the German live events sector also seeks a return for its estimated workforce of three million people.

An Integrated Return

In a paper whose title translates to Gradual return of spectators and guests: An integrated return to culture and sport, specialists in infectious diseases, virol-

ogy, ventilation, health economics, sports medicine, culture and law present various models for both indoor and outdoor events in Germany as a roadmap for them to reopen safely. Each model is based on a basic concept that can be expanded to gradually increase the number of guests per event.

This basic concept, described as stage one in a three-stage plan, is based on an indoor capacity of 25-30% (up to 40% if outdoors), with mandatory face masks and no food or beverage sales indoors (outside, there should be no F&B sales above 1,000 visitors). There should also be social distancing, achieved by leaving many seats empty. These rules are the same for attendees, regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated against Covid-19.

Beyond the basic model, the paper highlights a number of special individual concepts depending on the venue or event, with varying hygiene, ventilation and occupancy requirements.

At 100% capacity – the so-called ‘maximum model’ – the guidelines require, among other provisions, digital contact tracing for all attendees, along with mandatory coronavirus tests before entry.

The concept has won the support of major German venues, including Mercedes-Benz Arena/Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Olympiapark Munich and Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, as well as a number of other music and sports organisations, including the governing bodies of German football, basketball, handball and volleyball.

The head of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann, says the authors of the plan have provided “a comprehensive concept, which could enable spectators and guests to participate in cultural and sporting events under strict hygiene and infection-protection measures.”

Zimmerman adds, “With their concept, the scientists, experts and cultural and sports institutions are, for the first time, presenting a cross-industry, data-based approach […] to the discussion about appropriate ways out of lockdown.”

The Event Management Forum (EMF), which was founded last year by live music group BDKV and four other events associations, also welcomed the plan – which is similar to its Manifest Restart scheme – but points out that recent studies on the back of test events in Leipzig and Dortmund show that venues can go up to 100% capacity safely, far beyond the 25-30% on which the basic concept is based.

The forum points to an aerosol study in Dortmund where, “a capacity of 100% was considered harmless, provided that the audience in the hall wear masks.”

As for the ‘maximum model’ proposed in the plan, the EMF also claims venues could safely go to 100% capacity if attendees are tested for the virus before entry, making the other restrictions redundant. “The implementation of suitable tests can enable the utilisation of 100% [of a venue] without further measures if this ensures that only negative, non-infectious visitors are admitted,” the organisation adds.

Meanwhile, a number of new test events have been confirmed in Germany, although each pilot is subject to the local infection rate and pandemic situation, meaning that some events might be called off. For instance, the Berliner Philharmoniker sold out tickets within minutes for a symphony concert on 20 March, where the audience were tested in advance for the coronavirus.

And Berlin appears to be leading the way, with other test events including: the Berliner Ensemble on 19/20 March; a chamber concert at the Konzerthaus Berlin (25 March); the Berlin Club commission in cooperation with the Holzmarkt (27 March); the Volksbühne Berlin (1 April); the Berlin State Opera (2 April); and Deutsche Opera (4 April). Also, visitBerlin held a 25 March conference for companies in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry at the Estrel Hotel Berlin.

As with other test events around the world, the implementation of the German pilot shows are designed to check the logistical feasibility of events in conjunction with Covid antigen tests. The findings of the test runs will be evaluated jointly by all participants at the beginning of April and made available to interested parties, which could help other territories plan their strategies for reopening.

BUTLR: HELPING VENUES BUILD BACK FASTER

Venues looking to get back on their feet quickly as we come out of lockdown could benefit hugely from ordering apps like Butlr to help boost revenue and maximise productivity, even if they’ve had to cut back on staff due to Covid-19. Data from current partners shows that introducing Butlr to their ordering increased spend per head by 64%, thanks to a combination of speedier ordering, increasing the number of drinks, and a clearly laid-out menu meaning customers chose the premium spirits and mixers more often.

Butlr is a marketplace ordering app that offers both table service and collectat-bar functions, giving venues real flexibility as they reopen. And while it’s an app, for venues worried about imposing downloads on their customers, Butlr has recently introduced App Clips (a tiny version of the app accessible by QR code), which means all the sales uplift and seamless functionality of an app – such as one-click reordering and reminders – with no download required. Perfect when customers are seated for mandatory table service. What’s more, using the free QR code stickers provided will take customers directly to a venue’s own branded page, effectively creating a white-label own-brand offering at zero cost.

Butlr charges no sign-up or monthly fees, just a market-beating 1.9% transaction rate. And the customer service is second-to-none, with each venue having instant access to support 24/7.

The brand has seen significant growth over recent months as more venues are seeing the value, resulting in exciting new partnerships, including with the Association of Independent Promoters. James McKeown, of AIP explains, “We’re pleased to be working with Butlr to offer our members the financial support & technology needed as part of the sector’s recovery to full-capacity. The technology within the app is useful to our members not only in terms of cost and providing user-friendly table service, but also longer term with the potential of Butlr’s collection-point technology being integrated into full capacity operations.”

See how you can build back stronger and faster at www.getbutlr.com or drop us a line at hello@getbutlr.com.

Reigniting Confidence

Biosecurity Systems uses robotic cleaners and other integrated technology and services to diminish the risk of Covid-19 and other epidemic infections in tourism destinations, public buildings (such as airports) and sporting events. Company CEO, Dr Paul Twomey, reveals that in private discussions with insurers he has been informed that communicable disease cover is likely to be withdrawn completely. “The other point of interest is that the insurance business thinks that

venues need to be doing a lot more,” he tells IQ.

Twomey says the test events that the industry is relying on to plot its return to action need to deliver results that convince scientists and politicians, but crucially the proof will also be vital to restore confidence among consumers. “One of the bosses of a major arena operation told me that they were not in the business of trying to convince the kids; they are in the business of trying to convince the parents of those kids that it will be safe when their children come back home to see grandma after a show,” he notes.

Indeed, the Biosecurity Systems founder notes that being able to list a series of precautionary measures could also be crucial in persuading artists to return to live work – especially those from North America. “The Americans are a lot more risk conscious and litigious, so acts based in the States are going to be cautious not only for themselves but because they live in a different liability environment, they’re going to want to know that people have taken all the steps that they can to minimise any prospect of negligence claims,” notes Twomey. “Due diligence is going to be important.”

Test Event Programmes

When the coronavirus first started shutting down events last March, most people in the industry (if they are honest) thought the ‘pause’ would last a matter of weeks. When it became apparent that was not the case, promoters and venue operators in a number of nations were granted permission to run test events to prove that live entertainment could still continue, despite the virus.

As successful as those initial tests were, the fact that strict social distancing had to be implemented meant that venue capacities were slashed, making shows financially unviable.

However, thanks to the thousands of scientists around the world who have been studying the virus, the test events that are being held in 2021 are benefitting from a whole host of new technology and protocol that is geared toward showing that the live entertainment industry can reopen its doors with minimal risk of Covid transmission.

Individual companies have been formulating their own plans to mitigate Covid transmission, for example ASM Global’s VenueShield is being rolled out across the group’s 325 venues worldwide in an effort to provide “the highest levels of safety, security and consumer confidence, in alignment with approvals from local government officials and health care experts.”

Elsewhere, numerous suppliers and technology developers have been working tirelessly to launch products and services to assist in the battle against the virus, while, at a national level, countries are doing their best to implement roadmaps for their economies to fully reopen, although many governments have yet to implement any schemes to assist the live entertainment sector. Thankfully, other authorities recognise the value of the live entertainment sector and are working with the industry on test event programmes.

In Israel, where the majority of the population has now had both Covid-19 vaccinations, a new passport or ‘Green Pass’ has been introduced by the ministry of health that has to be shown before fans are admitted to concerts and other gatherings, although such events are still subject to capacity limits. The certificate, which can also be presented virtually on a mobile device, confirms the holder has received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been preferred by the Israeli government.

On 5 March, local star Ivri Lider performed to an audience of 500 fans at the 30,000-capacity Bloomfield Stadium in a concert that was organised by Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, which governs the city. Although those fans were not socially distanced, they were all seated and were required to wear face masks.

Thanks to the success of that pilot, up to 1,000 people are now allowed at indoor events in the country, and 1,500 for open-air shows, provided all attendees have a Green Pass. However, those capacity limits also come with caveats as they only apply to venues that normally can seat more than 10,000 people. For smaller venues, a 500-cap still exists for indoors, while smaller outdoor spaces are limited to 750 fans.

The Green Pass programme has quickly been adopted nationwide, with Israeli restaurants, hotels, cafés, gyms and shops allowed to reopen without social distancing restrictions provided patrons can prove they have had both doses of the vaccine.

At press time, UK-based operators were working on final details as part of preparations for the Events

“Put simply, if you’re not willing to make the effort to shift and know your risk, then that’s not going to solve any problems”

Dr Paul Twomey | Biosecurity Systems

As markets around the world roll out test events and gradually begin to reopen, IQ will be hosting a series of free, monthly mini-conferences to help subscribers stay up to date with latest Covid mitigation developments and best practice procedures.

The Recovery Sessions will feature a mix of online discussions with industry professionals, advice and data from scientific experts, and presentations both from suppliers who are delivering products and suppliers that will assist in the roadmap to re-opening.

Looking at every sector of the industry, the Recovery Sessions will be devised with the aim of providing guidance, advice and support to the industry as a whole. Programming will include:

Global updates on vaccination, testing and data driven analysis New tech showcases and presentations Q&As with scientists and industry leading experts Sector spotlight discussions

Recovery Sessions will initially run for four editions starting on Thursday 6 May and continuing through August when, hopefully, many countries will be closer to knowing their pathway back to business. The dates for your diary are: 6 May, 10 June, 8 July and 5 August.

For further information or to get involved, contact: Chris Prosser marketing@ilmc.com or Steve Woollett steve@iq-mag.net

Research Programme (ERP), which culture minister Oliver Dowden has said will examine scientific findings from around a dozen pilot events over the coming weeks in order to gauge the viability of large-scale events without having to impose social distancing on audiences.

Those ERP events will take place in April and May, and depending on the results, are designed to assist a return to full-capacity concerts, shows, sports, festivals and other events as early as June, with the UK prime minister’s roadmap to recovery naming 21 June as the date when all restrictions on indoor gatherings are set to be lifted. Before that (from 17 May), outdoor gatherings will be permitted with audiences of up to 10,000 people, under that roadmap strategy.

According to the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport, the ERP will use a range of non-pharmaceutical methods to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the events, including pre- and post-event testing, enhanced ventilation, special venue configurations, and systems to monitor audience movement and interaction.

“These test events will be crucial in finding ways to get fans and audiences back in safely without social distancing,” stated Dowden. “We will be guided by the science and medical experts, but will work flat out to make that happen. We want to get the people back to enjoying what they love and ensure some of our most important growth industries get back on their feet.”

Experts in the Netherlands have been running a testing regime called Back to Live for a number of weeks – the largest event of which took place on Saturday 27 March when 5,000 spectators were admitted to the 55,000-cap Johan Cruijff ArenA to witness the FIFA World Cup qualifier between the home nation and Latvia.

Other Dutch tests have used Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome (cap. 17,000) where 1,300 participants were given access to a dance event featuring a number of DJs, and a similar number enjoyed a concert by André Hazes.

Those events, organised by Mojo and ID&T, ran from 3pm till 7pm in order to comply with the nationwide curfew (9pm to 4:30am), which has been in place since January. At press time, the government changed the start time of the curfew to 10pm, promising to review it again on 20 April.

The promoters of the Ziggo Dome shows report that 100,000 people applied for tickets, providing further evidence of public support for the industry’s revival. Those who were successful were required to produce proof of a negative Covid-19 test within 48 hours of doors opening. Those applicants who received a positive test, which amounted to 12 people, were not admitted. Those who did attend were asked to take another test five days after the shows, while the Back to Live guidelines ensured that the movements of event participants were tracked and traced.

The Dutch testing scheme has been heralded as one of the most comprehensive yet. Attendees for the Ziggo Dome shows were divided into five ‘bubbles’ of 250 people, plus one of 50, each of which had to comply with different rules to test different spectator scenarios. ▶ BUBBLE 1 Participants were told to wear a mask throughout the event. They could decide for themselves where to stand but had to ensure that there were no more than three people in a square metre of space. ▶ BUBBLE 2 Participants wore a mask at all times but were told to keep a distance of 1.5 metres. ▶ BUBBLE 3 Participants wore a mask only when in motion and had to stand on designated spots. ▶ BUBBLE 4 People wore masks all the time and were permitted to sit down. ▶ BUBBLE 5 People wore masks only when on the move. There were standing and seating areas. The participants were put in their dancing spot by the organisers with two chairs spacing people apart. ▶ BUBBLE 6 Participants did not wear masks and were allowed to stand or sit where and when they pleased.

Additionally, one group was reportedly given a fluorescent drink and encouraged to sing along to the music, so that scientists could monitor the levels of saliva being spread.

Speaking to media, Tim Boersma, of Fieldlab, said, “We hope this can lead to a tailor-made reopening of venues. Measures are now generic, allowing for instance a maximum of 100 guests at any event if coronavirus infections drop to a certain level. We hope for more specific measures, such as allowing the Ziggo Dome to open at half its capacity.”

The Back to Live series has also included a simulated conference environment with 500 people and two music festivals on the site usually used by Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen.

The behavioural data gathered at the pilot events will inform governmental decisions on the easing of restrictions in the Netherlands as the country plots its way out of lockdown, which has seen a ban on gatherings of more than 100 people for more than a year.

ROAD TO REOPENING

A timeline of the pilot projects that aim to show a scientific path back to live

RESTART-19

When: 22 August 2020 Where: Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Leipzig, Germany Who: University Medical Center of Halle What they said: “[T]he contacts that do occur at an event do not involve all participants. Therefore, events could take place under specific conditions during a pandemic.”

KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND STUDY

When: 2–3, 20 November 2020 Where: Konzerthaus Dortmund, Germany Who: Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute Goslar, ParteQ What they said: “Concert halls and theatres are not places of infection. […] With our study, we want to ensure that concert halls and theatres may again admit sufficient audiences when they reopen.”

At press time, Spanish chart toppers Love of Lesbian were celebrating their 27 March concert at the Palau Sant Jordi arena, which utilised rapid Covid-19 testing to allow 5,000 fans to attend.

Audience members were given three locations in Barcelona where they could take a rapid antigen test on the morning of the show. Test results were communicated in a matter of minutes via an app on their phones and only a handful of people tested positive, with those fans banned from the concert but refunded. The ticket price covered the cost of the Covid test, while attendees were also provided with a mask as part of the package.

At the Palau Sant Jordi, the show was delayed due to the strict health controls at the entrance, but with the audience all wearing masks, the event was heralded as a great success.

The planning for that show reportedly persuaded organisers of Barcelona festival Cruïlla to proceed with plans for their 8-10 July 2021 festival, despite fellow Parc del Fòrum festival Primavera Sound cancelling its 10-12 June activities. The proposed Cruïlla is a step forward from last year when the festival pivoted to host a series of socially distanced concerts, Cruïlla XXS, in place of its usual 25,000-capacity gathering.

While shows in Israel have required proof of full vaccination, Cruïlla promoter Barcelona Events Musicals will allow vaccination proof as well as depending on a rapid testing programme to create a “sanitary bubble” of healthy festival-goers. The company is confident that that will deliver a full-capacity festival, with no social distancing restrictions for attendees who have bought tickets to see the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Editors, Morcheeba, Of Monsters and Men, and local acts Kase.O, and Natos y Waor.

In nearby Canet del Mar, the annual Canet Rock extravaganza on 3 July is planning wide-ranging measures including rapid tests, mandatory masks, a trace-and-track app, and a scheme to enlarge the festival site to provide extra space for its 50,000 visitors.

Despite calling time for the second year in a row, Primavera Sound Festival has been at the forefront of activities to try to reopen the events sector in Spain. In addition to a series of 70 small gigs last summer, Primavera partnered with Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, and the Fight AIDS Foundation, to conduct a test event in Barcelona’s Apolo venue last October. The show saw 1,000 fans trial a situation that coupled temperature testing with a rapid testing scheme, before watching the concert wearing face masks.

That pilot show was considered a success as the venue introduced additional ventilation and the study concluded that people should be able to begin attending live events again, as long as similar measures were followed.

For 2021, the Primavera team is organising a second round of shows in late April, where over the course of a week the likes of Swedish singer-songwriter José González, Seville collective Califato ¾ and Derby Motoreta’s Burrito Kachimba will entertain fans at Barcelona’s Coliseum Theatre. At IQ’s press time, the situation in France was precarious as new government restrictions were anticipated amidst doctors warning about surging coronavirus infection rates.

Nonetheless, efforts to organise test events – notably in Paris and Marseille – are continuing in the hope that those restrictions will not put plans for venues reopening in further jeopardy.

An event for 5,000 people is being organised by industry association Prodiss for 29 April, which many in the industry are hoping will prove to authorities that concerts, handled properly, can proceed without social distancing, without any increased threat of spreading the virus.

“A lot of measures are being put in place for the event – it is very protocol heavy,” says Angelo Gopee, managing director of Live Nation France, which is working with Prodiss to produce the test event for a standing audience.

“We will be looking for 7,500 people to participate,” he explains. “The AccorHotels Arena will host 5,000 of them for the event, while the other 2,500 will remain at home so we can compare the test result of both groups.”

Gopee says each participant will undergo three Covid tests: the first two days before the event; the second immediately before the show; and the third one week after the event. “People

“We want to get the people back to enjoying what they love and ensure some of our most important growth industries get back on their feet”

Oliver Dowden | Culture minister - UK

PRIMA-COV

When: 12 December 2020 Where: Apolo, Barcelona, Spain Who: Primavera Sound, Germans Trias Hospital, the Fight Aids and Infectious Diseases Foundation What they said: “A live music concert, staged with a series of security measures that included a negative antigen test for SarsCoV-2 done on the same day, was not associated with an increase in Covid-19 infections.”

PHILHARMONIE DE PARIS STUDY

When: 16 December 2020 Where: Philharmonie de Paris, France Who: Dassault Systèmes What they said: “The combination of face masks with a fresh-air supply built into every seat gives the indoor Philharmonie a similar profile to that of an outdoor space, with a very limited risk of spread from one side [of the venue] to the other.”

BACK TO LIVE (SG)

When: 18–19 December 2020 Where: Sands Theatre, Marina Bay, Singapore Who: AEG Presents, Collective Minds What they said: “[T]he outcome of such pilots will be critical to our ongoing efforts to allow events of a larger scale to resume in a safe and sustainable manner.”

will have to wear face masks, but there will be no social distancing as we want to prove that standing shows can work without reduced capacities.”

Neither will there be any ventiallation measures taken in the arena, as organisers do not want to exclude any other venues from benefitting from the trial.

Meanwhile, a second test event is also scheduled to take place in Marseille on 30 April when local rap superstars IAM will perform to 1,000 seated fans at the 8,500-capacity Dôme de Marseille. The band has already taken part in a Covid trial concert, having performed to 500 fans in Barcelona last December.

No acts have been named for the Paris event, as yet, with Gopee observing it is more of a medical project than a concert, therefore tickets for the test will be free. “We don’t know if we will be able to proceed with the show if new restrictions are announced, but we are working hard to finish the protocol and get it approved so that we’re ready to host the show,” he says.

“There are two goals: first is to get permission to increase capacities for the summer; second is so we can reopen venues as quickly as possible.”

Denmark’s ‘restart team’ has submitted a catalogue of recommendations on the reopening of the cultural and sports sectors to the ministry of culture for government approval.

The ten-person team – which includes Esben Marcher (Dansk Live), Signe Lopdrup (Roskilde Festival Group) and Sara Indrio (Danish Artist Association) from the music sector – has met with more than 80 key stakeholders across the two sectors to determine how the government should allocate its DKK50million (€7m) fund.

The restart team has made the following recommendations: ▶ Form an advisory expert group composed of members of the culture and sports sectors, which will maintain dialogue between the sector, authorities and the government, and assist in the preparation of a fact-based long-term and differentiated opening plan. ▶ Launch a nationwide campaign, immediately after reopening the entire cultural and sports sectors, to celebrate the restart. The team has recommended that the government arranges a nationwide festival, and sets aside DKK2m (€0.3m), for this purpose. ▶ Back the implementation of SAFE (SARSCoV-2 Antigen testing of fans before events in Denmark), which is a large-scale study of Covid-19 antigen testing of the public prior to matches in the 3F Superliga. The estimated cost is DKK5m (€0.7m). ▶ Create an ‘innovation laboratory,’ bolstered by DKK6m (€0.8m), which will develop new digital formats, technologies and initiatives for parts of each sector that have difficulty reopening – principally crowd management solutions for live music events. ▶ Collect data to understand citizens’ concerns, considerations and motivations in relation to cultural and sports life in the wake of Covid-19 and make the information publicly available so the sectors can make informed choices of how to restart. DKK500,000 (€67,000) has been suggested for this recommendation. ▶ Set aside DKK36.5m (€4.5m) for the development and testing of new formats for culture and sports, which will enable a safe return.

The team has also made a number of recommendations that require a longer-term effort and/or funding that is outside the allocated DKK50m (€6.7m).

As a result, various schemes, such as compensation funding and a government-backed insurance guarantee, have been tabled, as has the suggestion of ongoing compensation for those who have to wait longer to open.

Dansk Live’s Marcher says: “We have gone for broad, embracing proposals that can benefit all actors, which, of course, means that recommendations are not necessarily directly aimed at live organisers. However, I think it is positive that the SAFE project on quick tests is included in recommendations, just as it is positive that there is a focus on pushing for innovation in culture and sports.”

Roskilde’s Lopdrup, who is deputy chairman of the restart team, says: “Our recommendations certainly do not solve all the challenges, but I hope they can help inspire and open up new opportunities for the players and thus pave the way for the reopening of cultural and sports life, so we can meet about the community-creating experiences again.”

Next Steps

Millions of people around the world who rely on the live entertainment business for their livelihoods will be anxiously awaiting the results of those test show schemes to gauge when they might conceivably get back to work.

For its part, and despite zero revenue streams, the industry at large has been investing significant time and money into creating protocols that will allow doors to reopen, to meet the huge demand for entertainment that has been underlined by

BACK TO LIVE (NL)

When: 15, 20, 21, 28 February & 6, 7, 20, 21 March 2021 Where: The Netherlands Who: Fieldlab Evenementen What they said: “We can now show that we can organise events in a very safe way. […] We hope this can lead to a tailormade reopening of venues.”

LOVE OF LESBIAN CONCERT

When: 27 March 2021 Where: Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona Who: Festivals per la Cultura Segura What they said: “If the results confirm our theories, we will be able to see the return of big events this summer.”

EVENTS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

When: April/May 2021 Where: England Who: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport What they said: “These test events will be crucial in finding ways to get fans and audiences back in safely without social distancing. We will be guided by the science and medical experts but will work flat out to make that happen.”

SUPPORTING A SAFE FUTURE FOR MUSIC VENUES

Danny Keir, Enki Music

The impact of the pandemic on the live music business over the past 12 months has exposed the vulnerability of our music spaces and businesses. Music venues were the first to close and will be the last to open. We have cherry picked services and products to provide commercially viable infection management measures to ensure a healthy and sustainable future. As restrictions relax, infection control has moved from a ‘nice to have’ to becoming a critical element of any ethical business.

“Through technologies such as UV-C sterilisation, we are already helping the NHS, major manufacturers and the creative industries to manage safe and secure work places.” KEITH WYATT, UV CLEAN LIGHT

Not only will evidence of infection control make venues more attractive to both customers and artists, but a clear and sustainable framework will be essential to gain the support of the government in allowing gigs and festivals to proceed.

The vaccine roll-out is still happening. A ‘COVID Pass’ is a good start. In the long-term, venues that are unable to show a commitment to infection control may lose ground on more responsible competitors. Infection control is not only a health and safety concern – it is becoming a key differentiator.

Enki Music provides the advisory to understand what your venue needs. This is backed up by a full range of proven technologies from specialist partners. We can enable venues and festivals to stage events, within a broad infection control framework - including UV-C sterilisation, automated thermal measurement and automated social distancing and track and trace.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, technologies such as UV-C sterilisation have become a ‘band wagon.’ There are a variety of products and services available, many of which are not effective (as in the case of most LED UV-C products), and potentially electrically dangerous. Building the confidence of artists, staff members and fans is key. If this is false confidence from ineffective systems, we have a problem.” KEITH WYATT, UV CLEAN LIGHT

DANNY KEIR ENKI MUSIC DANNY@ENKIMUSIC.CO.UK ENKIMUSIC.CO.UK

the frenzy for festival tickets apparent in the UK.

And those protocols could be a vital part of the business into 2022 and beyond, according to Twomey of Biosecurity Systems. “The population might slowly be beginning to understand that the vaccine does not solve Covid,” he says. “It certainly diminishes it, and the death rates and hospitalisation numbers will ease, but the disease problem is not going to go away and the variety of issues around that are going to continue to exist.

“The real question for the industry, particularly in Europe, is can they get to a position where they can show sufficiently diminished risk to the extent that public health authorities – and agents are artists – are willing to adopt that risk. If that’s the pertinent question, then I can see a tiered pathway forward.”

Twomey believes venues should be able to show that the risk profile of the people they are inviting into an event is well known and “less than the average risk elsewhere in the environment.” Using Israel’s Green Pass scheme as an example, he comments, “I can see the same thing happening in Europe built around showing similar types of passes or passports that show that the holder has been inoculated or has recently had a PCR test. The mix between those two is going to vary country by country.

“At ILMC, one of the things I was taken with was some of the festival people saying they would not consider vaccine passports because it was against their beliefs. Obviously, I’m not close to their business or the people that attend their events, but my immediate thought is that those events won’t be returning to business as quickly as those who do implement such guidelines. Put simply, if you’re not willing to make the effort to shift and know your risk, then that’s not going to solve any problems.”

Citing such measures as air purification, disinfection of surfaces, obligatory mask usage, and audience testing, screening and contact tracing, Twomey draws parallels with the anti-terrorism precautions introduced by airports in the aftermath of 9/11, where, ultimately, travellers bore the cost. “The difference between this and terrorism is that everybody now has changed their behaviour, whereas there was only a small percentage of the population who went through airports regularly,” he observes. “With Covid, everyone has been through it and everyone understands it. Therefore, if you say to consumers that there’s going to be a bit more expense as we try to sort things out, personally I think consumers will live with that.”

Twomey concludes, “It’s going to cost a bit more money but probably not as much as people think. But people are going to have to do something. If your model is I’m going to sit and wait, that’s fine, but plan for the second quarter of 2022… maybe.”

DENMARK TRIALS

When: TBC 2021 Where: Denmark Who: Dansk Live, Divisionsforeningen What they said: “This should very much lead to a much-needed festival summer and many great concert experiences across the country in 2021.”

Ahead of the 20th anniversary edition of EXIT, festival founder and CEO Dušan Kovačević talks to IQ about plans for the 8-11 July gathering.

IQ: EXIT’s Dance Arena is almost as big as the main arena (25,000 vs 35,000). How important is it, and why do you mix musical styles so much? DK: We were one of the first festivals to have two main stages and have alternative electronic music on the big stage. The Dance Arena soon became known among DJs and music magazines as one of the best, if not the best electronic dance floor in the world. It is our flagship stage and the main reason we have visitors from over 100 countries.

We have more than 35 stages and zones throughout the fortress, providing a unique and unforgettable festival experience, and combining a large number of genres. We are committed to being a multi-genre festival where you can hear the world’s best alternative and mainstream electronic music, but also the best rock, hip-hop, pop, as well as reggae, drum & bass, and other genres.

If you could sum up the top three things you’ve learned over the last 20 years of EXIT, what are they? Firstly, never give up. I often say that doing a major festival in a country where wages and ticket prices are ten times lower than in developed western countries is akin to farming in the Sahara. But I learned that the night really is always darkest before dawn and that one must persevere. I have the same mindset regarding the pandemic, and I believe that the end is closer than most expect.

Secondly, people are most important – both people within the festival team and the people in the audience, the fans. It’s vital to be dedicated to people; then you can expect great things from them. I would say that this is one reason why EXIT is known for having one of the best atmospheres in the world.

Thirdly, nothing is impossible. The key to life is believing in yourself and your dreams, and if that faith is strong enough, miracles can happen every day.

What’s the plan for the 20th birthday party? We are planning a Big Bang at the Fortress. Many performers have already been confirmed, including David Guetta, DJ Snake, Sheck Wes, Nina Kraviz, Eric Prydz (in a special b2b set with Four Tet), Paul Kalkbrenner, Solomon, Tyga, Boris Brejcha, Honey Dijon, Metronomy, Paul van Dyk and Sepultura.

What’s the plan for 2021 in terms of capacity and mitigation measures in place regarding Covid? How will you ensure that EXIT is safe? In the first few months of 2021, Serbia, along with the UK, established itself as the European leader in immunisation numbers, which is why we expect an accelerated opening plan similar to the British model. We believe that, before the end of spring, we will have achieved herd immunity. Therefore, we expect the government to lift all restrictions by the beginning of summer, similar to what is planned in the UK. In the worst-case scenario, we expect entry to the festival to be possible for all who have been vaccinated, while others will be able to take quick tests at the entrance. How do you see the festival business changing over the next few years? It will take several years for the whole industry to recover from such a strong impact. We will have to be more united than ever, and I see a significant change in the fact that the pandemic has awakened solidarity in the music industry. The practice used to be that agencies and event organisers were often on opposite sides. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how, after the outbreak of the pandemic, the whole industry united, and we all finally realised that if any part of the music ecosystem is disrupted, everyone is threatened.

EXIT was born from political struggle – how political is the organisation these days? The EXIT Foundation is as important to us as the music festival, and it implements dozens of important projects each year. Using the power of the brand, the EXIT Foundation has positioned itself as a leader in mobilising both public opinion and decision makers in the areas of youth support, environmental protection, peace promotion, creative industries, destination branding and humanitarian work. Last year, we used our Green Revolution platform to influence the government of Serbia to adopt our initiative and increase the country's afforestation, from the current 28% to 40% of its territory.

How do you see the festival developing over the next 20 years? The next 20 years will determine whether our planet will become uninhabitable. I see EXIT at the forefront of that fight, along with all like-minded individuals and organisations, because only united can we make real change.

What are you most looking forward to this year? I am most looking forward to another embrace – an embrace between the audience and the artists, and an embrace between all of us.