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Europe’s Festivals Stand United Ahead Of Outdoor Season
– Festivals Stand United Across Europe
Many events on the continent have addressed the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming summer season in a joint statement
Most of the world is on lockdown, and no one is able to hell for how long this extraordinary situation will last. Many of Europe’s festival have released a joint statement to address the looming uncertainty about the upcoming season.
The cancellation of Glastonbury and other large scale events as well has confused a lot of people, and placed a lot of pressure on promoters to address concerns about the realization of this summer’s events, Yourope’s general secretary Christof Huber explained.
He said most festivals weren’t yet in a position to decide whether to go ahead or cancel their 2020 editions. “We need a few weeks to observe the developments,” Huber continued.
Huber is also the director of OpenAir St.Gallen in Switzerland, which is scheduled for June 25-28. The confirmed lineup includes Placebo, Twenty One Pilots, Deichkind, AnnenMayKanetereit, The Luimineers, Of Monster & Men and many more.
“We need clarity on how the situation develops in our country, but also in all of Europe. Most festivals can decide once the authorities make clear announcements and set clear rules,” Huber continued.
“Viewed in the light of these facts and with the knowledge that we have, we all expect to carry through our festivals this summer. We will stand united to make it a safe and sound experience for our participants and the outside world. It’s about taking responsibility for the events – and it’s about taking responsibility for the industry we’re part of,” the joint statement reads.
Photo by Gaelle Beri/Redferns – General view of the audience at Open
Promoter Alter Art was one of the initiators of the joint festivals statement
Signees include the statement’s initiators Roskilde (Denmark) and Open’er (Poland), as well as Openair St. Galle, Baloise Session, SummerDays Festival (Switzerland), MaMA Festival & Convention, Rock en Seine (France), Metaldays (Slovenia), Artmania Festival (Romania), Melt, splash!, Deichbrand (Germany), and many more.
More than 60 festivals joined in signing the document.
The statement continues: “It’s an industry in which we, as major festivals, are the final part of a food chain where the smaller players – the artists, the venues, sound and light production and many more – are already suffering from the serious situation we are in. They suffer so much that they may not be able to recover if they are not given the opportunity to be a part of festivals like
ours.
“By carrying through our festivals this summer, we can be a crucial part of the survival of this industry. We owe it to the community, the music, the art and the culture to assume responsibility together.”
From conversations with Europe’s promoters, Pollstar understands that while some events are insured against a cancellation due to a communicable disease, most aren’t.
Roskilde Festival, for instance, “is not insured to an extent that takes into account an epidemic like the Coronavirus, so we cannot give specific answers as to what our position is in case of an injunction of limitation or cancellation,” an answer in the FAQ section of the festival’s homepage reads.
“In any case, the situation will be serious,” it continues.
Most of Europe has now severe limitation of people’s freedom of movement in place. Most countries don’t allow anybody to leave their homes unless for essential purposes. Public life has largely come to a standstill.