UK Music Industry Struggles under COVID-19 Restrictions

With venues closed and tours cancelled, the music industry has come face to face with a crisis unlike any other.

Lovelytheband at O2 Academy Birmingham, 12/11/2019

---

The music industry has been balancing on a knifes edge since March 2020. It started with rescheduled festivals, even going so far as to cancel Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary in 2021. And then came the cancelled and postponed tours on a worldwide scale, Harry styles’ “Love on Tour” and The Rolling Stones “No Filter” tour to name but a few. Now, ten months since the first national lockdown, just out of the second and back into the tiered system, the industry has yet to see any real support despite the devastating impact of Covid-19.

It’s no secret that despite the music industry being one of the fastest growing sectors, and contributing £5.8 billion to the UK in 2019 (an 11% increase from 2018), the response to support the music industry in the current climate was a slow one. In July, the government announced their £1.57 billion package, created to support struggling venues while they were forced to close. This was the largest one-off investment ever made to the creative industry, and while it may look great on paper, lets first take a closer look at where this money actually went.

Unsurprisingly London received 34% of this fund. However, Birmingham received just 2% in the first round of funding. This is a shocking comparison given that Birmingham is England’s second city, home to hundreds of venues, artists and creatives, and arguably one of the most influential cities in music.

With the most recent announcement that the West Midlands will return to tier 3 as of December 2nd, venues will still not be able to open their doors. So, whilst the industry work to produce creative solutions, the big question remains. When, if ever, will the industry finally receive the support it deserves?