A large number of music venues in the UK are facing the risk of permanent closure because of coronavirus pandemic situation. Puza Snigdha reports.
According to industry leaders, half of all music venues and 70% of theatres across the UK are now at risk of closing before the end of the month as they were facing a financial crisis.
Back in April, Music Venue Trust launched the #saveourvenues campaign to help support 556 venues threatened with permanent closure.
As events are being canceled so venues struggling to stay afloat financially. According to a survey, the lockdown has left 140,000 performers, agents, promoters and technicians without a steady income since the end of March.
A recent survey by the Music Venue Trust has found 554 of its 670 member venues are under threat of “imminent closure” as a result of Covid-19.
Horace Trubridge, the general secretary of the Musicians’ Union, and Julian Bird, chief executive of UK Theatre and Society of London Theatre explained the grim future of the industry to MPs in a virtual session of the House of Commons.
Trubridge said: “We never ever imagined that something like this, so catastrophic could come along that would kill live music for a period of time”.
“A lot of music venues are in city centres in sort of prime real estate. If they can’t continue to make the money that keeps the doors open then I think their landlords will be thinking about doing something else with the properties. We could very easily lose half the music venues we have in the UK during this crisis if there isn’t more permanent support for them,” Trubridge explained.
Visit the link to donate save our venues campaign: https://saveourvenues.co.uk/#/
