xxialac

But there's also a cost to having to run a music-related business for yet another 12 months with Zero Income. The cost of testing people by June could be a tiny fraction of that. Testing could be done by dogs by then for all we know (e.g. dogs do initial test and the 1% of those that are marked as suspected of having covid are taken to a separate place for a more formal second test). I respect that you are in the know with the promoter perspective but none of us are in the know as to how rapidly or otherwise sophisticated, affordable testing will develop (and there's still 7 mo

Festival attendees don't need to be vaccinated I'd suggest, they need to be tested effectively, alongside some other protections (e.g. vaccination of the vulnerable) happening in the background. I'd guess more likely to get to this point by August than June but wouldn't rule it out...

I don't think you can read so much into this. If there's one thing the crisis has taught us, it's that the 'authorities' are terrible at predicting how it will pan out. They underestimated it before (previously they had to extend the SOE FOUR times and then they got complacent about the second wave) and they can overestimate it too. Announcing May, for all we know could be a way of psychologically preparing citizens for the long haul. It doesn't mean the second wave is going to end in May. If you looked at the last wave, that took about a month to dramatically recede. Just a mon

My point was it wasn't the curfew that was linked to May but the state of emergency. The reason for long period is they don't want to have to renew the state of emergency all through winter. The curfew almost certainly won't last for 6 months - as we know the virus is up and down.

That's not right. It's a state of emergency until May but the curfew can be lifted beforehand. Or things made more severe e.g. confinements.

What's the latest notice a mini European tour could be arranged for a Europe act, given the unusual set of circumstances? They want to eat, right? This is surely equally devastating for the acts too...

God, I crave boring, competent leadership these days. Bit like a referee, you shouldn't really notice they are there - everything just works as it should. The minute they start shouting at the opposition or waving the union jack, it's to make up for them being fundamentally bad at steering the country.

Today = 26,688 cases in the UK. Bloody hell.

It's still very much up in air but I'd say most likely scenario is a) festivals delayed to end of next Summer, next likely is b) spring/early summer festivals happen on time thanks to excellent on-demand testing regimes and some level of vaccination but with much changed lineups (no North American acts or acts that lose their nerve and pull their tour), followed by c) doomsday scenario of no festivals in 2021 and most festivals going into administration. Still very optimistic for first or second of these.

I didn't write half of the income, I wrote half of the profit. And the UEFA members are only interested in the profit as that's what they take (the numbers are in the public domain incidentally).

The profits from the Euro tournament goes to the UEFA member associations. Without ticket sales, the profit from the last tournament would have been cut by 50% Therefore the UEFA member associations will want bums on seats.

IMO we can't talk about vaccines as if it's the only tool in the toolbox. Onsite rapid testing could have an even greater beneficial effect. Not clear whether this will be in time for June but a combination of good testing and some level of innoculation among the vulnerable will be deemed enough to reopen mass outdoor events. We don't need perfection. If football can go ahead at some point on this basis - and that's big business with a lot of pressure on politicians to reopen it - then so can outdoor festivals.

I don't see why a combination of smaller (one person in particular) European acts can't fill in for some of the missing NA acts - think Skepta, Jamie XX etc filing in at even shorter notice in the past - plus some European bands already touring but not playing the festival. These are exceptional circumstances and even with weaker headliners it's still a viable festival with the pent-up demand.

Agree with the above comment. This is patently false. They are free to gamble and may do so if they see it as a bet they are likely to win.

I feel the same about him. Don’t agree with his views but he at least comes over as intelligent, statesmanlike, measured and capable of empathy. All the things the rest of the current rabble are not.