Advertisement
New Zealand markets closed
  • NZX 50

    12,105.29
    +94.63 (+0.79%)
     
  • NZD/USD

    0.5977
    -0.0028 (-0.47%)
     
  • NZD/EUR

    0.5536
    -0.0007 (-0.12%)
     
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • OIL

    83.11
    +1.76 (+2.16%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    18,254.69
    -26.15 (-0.14%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • DAX

    18,492.49
    +15.40 (+0.08%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     
  • NZD/JPY

    90.4290
    -0.3510 (-0.39%)
     

British musicians demand help for live music industry

Who knows when any of us will be back in an arena to experience a concert like this?

The Rolling Stones are among some 1,500 musicians who called on Thursday (July 2) for the British government to help the live music business survive the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Writing in an open letter to British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the musicians, among them Paul McCartney and Ed Sheeran, said the future for concerts and festivals looked bleak.

Adding that until they can start up again, likely to be next year at the earliest, "government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading industry."

ADVERTISEMENT

The letter called for a clear timeline on when music venues could reopen, as well as support for businesses and jobs.

Dowden responded in a tweet on Thursday, saying he was pushing hard for the ability to give a clear roadmap.

But he said decisions on reopening live music venues would be difficult as it relates to the future of social distancing.

Music venues, concerts and festivals - including the annual summer Glastonbury festival - were shuttered or cancelled in March when the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the country.

The musicians said live music added 4.5 billion pounds - around five point six billion US dollars - to the British economy and supported 210,000 jobs in 2019.