Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino says the company are working on a "roadmap to get back to live safely".
After predicting "a robust outdoor summer season in 2021" back in August, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino has continued to show a positive outlook when it comes to the return of gigs, stating that the company expect things to return "at scale" next year – depending on the region.
In a conversation with investors and analysts on November 5 (via IG Mag), he revealed that the promoters were working on a "roadmap to get back to live safely", with current "progress on testing technology treatments and vaccines" looking encouraging.
Though Michael admitted the “exact timeline of this return will vary by region, and so we continue to focus on remaining flexible”, he added that Live Nation “expect shows at scale next summer”.
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“From venue sanitation procedures to fan-friendly policies and on ticket purchases and the latest testing options, we are setting standards that will give the fans, crews and artists peace of mind before, during and after the show,” he revealed of how things might work going forwards.
Speaking to Kerrang! in June about the impact of coronavirus on our beloved music scene, Live Nation promoter (and Download Festival booker) Andy Copping said, “The concern is that we might not see gigs as we know it this year, certainly in the bigger rooms. I’m hoping that some of the smaller venues will be up and operating towards the end of this year, and that will hopefully energise the live business and we can get back to some kind of normality in early 2021.”
Andy also spoke of how this lack of touring affects bands as well as fans, explaining, “We’re frustrated about not going to shows, but the bands themselves are super-frustrated about not being able to play – that’s what they do for a living! Yeah, they’re writing songs and just spent the past three-and-a-half months sat in their houses, but most bands make their money being on the road so they wanna get out there. I’m hoping we see some kind of light at the end of this hideous tunnel and we get back to live music sooner rather than later.”
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