The U.K. Government has hit the brakes on its plan to allow socially distanced indoor gigs to take place beginning Saturday. Plans have been delayed for at least a fortnight amid concerns over an increase in new coronavirus cases, further riling a consortium of venue owners and concert promoters.
Alongside ruling out gigs again, the reopening of leisure businesses has been paused until 8/15, rules on face coverings have been extended, pilot sports events have been cancelled and the decision to allow weddings has also been reversed.
A spike in infections in parts of northern England has resulted in lockdown restrictions returning to a number of places including Manchester and Lancashire. In those affected areas, people are no longer allowed to meet others they don’t live with.
Reacting to the news, the Music Venue Trust said that they have called on the British Government to acknowledge that music venues can’t reopen with current restrictions in place and that, realistically, they won’t be able to until 10/1 “at the earliest.”
