COVID-19’s Potential Live Music Impact (with Live Cancellation & Postponement Updates)
On the heels of the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused cancellation of SXSW’s and the postponement of Pearl Jam’s 2020 North American tour dates, Coachella and Stagecoach have now announced that their festivals will also be postponed from April to October 2020.
The questions now become, 1) Which festival or big tour is next? and 2) How many will either cancel or try to reschedule?
Update: Since the original posting of this piece, we’ve seen announcements of postponements or cancellations of the following events -> Canadian Music Week 2020 / the 2020 Juno Awards / Zac Brown Band, The Owl Tour spring leg / Madonna’s Madame X Tour / Burton Cummings at the Skagit Casino Resort / Big Ears Festival / Avril Lavigne’s Asian market dates / Palaye Royale’s remaining European dates / Ultra Music Festival (Miami) / Bikini Kill tour dates (until May 10) / Worldwide Radio Summit / The MUSEXPO Creative Summit 2020 / Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (Until April 30) / Dan + Shay’s Spring tour / Kenny Chesney’s Chilaxification tour launch / The Canadian Screen Awards / The Glorious Sons A War On Everything tour dates / Billie Eilish Where Do We Go tour dates / All Evenko events in Quebec for 30 days / The Bombpops tour and album release shows / Michael Bublé’s March and early April dates / RALPH’s Canadian dates / All Fallsview Casino Entertainment / Foo Fighters Van Tour / Good Lovelies 2020 Forest Tour / Hillside Festival / The Calgary Stampede / Cavendish Beach Music Festival / Ottawa Bluesfest / Rock the Park / Country Thunder / Big Valley Jamboree / Sunfest / Rockin’ River Music Fest / Boots and Hearts / Big Sky Music Festival / Rockin’ The Fields of Minnedosa / Peterborough Music Fest / CNE 2020 / Havelock Jamboree /
Update: Live Nation and AEG Halt all Events
In the Toronto-area market we’re looking at Canadian Music Week in May, the Budweiser Stage schedule all summer and into the fall, big concerts at Rogers Centre and Scotia Bank Arena. And then there are the festivals, including NXNE, Boots & Hearts, VELD, Dreams, the Jazz festival, Toronto Festival of Beer, the CBC Music Festival, the CNE at the end of the summer, and more. The number of attendees for these festivals ranges from a couple thousand to as many as 50,000 (or more) – and with the uncertainty in the air, we’re all left to wonder what will happen.
In sports, we’re hearing reports that the NBA has told teams to prepare for the possibility of playing games to empty stadiums, with the TV broadcast being the only connection for fans. That might work for live sports, but it’s going to work for live music. The fans need to be there for the big shows and the small shows. There are no broadcast rights to keep the financials afloat while the fans stay home. There are no concerts with no fans.
Across Canada, we have to assume festival organizers from Osheaga to Country Thunder to Rockin’ The Fields of Minnedosa are talking amongst themselves, paying attention to health officials and scientists and hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. In the most simplistic of terms, it seems like the three options on the table are 1) Go on as planned. 2) Reschedule and hope that COVID-19 is under control by fall. 3) Cancel, take a massive hit, and try to regroup for 2021.
As fans and media members, we sincerely hope that these big shows and festivals are able to continue as planned because COVID-19 comes under some sort of control or submission.
We also hope that any of these live event gatherings that do go on don’t cause the further spread of a virus that officials are still trying to manage and control.
For now, if you are at a concert (indoors or outdoors) we recommend washing your hands when appropriate, bringing hand sanitizer to use periodically, paying with debit or credit at concession stands (money moves a lot of germs), trying not to touch walls, too many handrails, etc., avoiding water fountains, not getting too handsy with your fellow concert-goers, and staying home if you are sick!
We love live music. We love music fans. We love artists. And right now a lot of artists, festivals, and conferences have some very tough decisions to make and we don’t envy them one bit.
Just like them, we’re hoping for the best but preparing for Plan B.
Stay safe. Stay smart. Stay healthy.
ps. Nobody needs 376 rolls of toilet paper. Buy some good hand soap and try not to touch your face or other people. Stay home if you are sick. Contact your doctor or health professionals if you are ill. Listen to the advice of experts. Be well.
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