EDMunplugged

Tag: COVID-19

  • AVA Festival & Conference announces its 2021 dates

    AVA Festival & Conference announces its 2021 dates

    Belfast’s AVA Festival & Conference announced its 2021 dates, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29 of next year in south Belfast’s Boucher playing fields.  

    “We plan to bring our uncompromising approach to the design and creativity, collaborating with the very best of local artists and bringing back some of the most exciting international performers to the city.”

    – AVA Festival & Conference

    Marking a return for its seventh year, AVA Festival & Conference will move to a new festival site built completely from scratch by the AVA team.  The festival landscape will “merge industrial stage design with visual and electronic art and music across multiple enclosed intimate experiences.”

    To secure a ticket with just a £15 deposit down and future installment payments made in 2021, please visit the following link.  For a complete breakdown of the deposit payment options, please see below. Deposit tickets will be refundable if the festival date is changed or the event is canceled (due to COVID-19).

    Deposit Option 1: (Two Installments)

    • £15 Deposit + £70 + BF
    • Final Deposit Deadline: Friday, April 30, 2021

    Deposit Option 2: (Three Installments)

    • £15 Deposit + £35 + £35 + BF
    • 2nd Deposit Deadline: Friday, March 26,  2021
    • Final Deposit Deadline: Friday, April 30, 2021
  • The National Independent Venue Association faces ‘mass collapse’

    The National Independent Venue Association faces ‘mass collapse’

    The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) urged Mr. President Trump to work with legislators on emergency funding for the live entertainment sector of the country as he announced in a tweet that he would be walking away from any further stimulus funding until after the presidential election on Nov. 3. 

    “Immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business.”

    – President Trump

    The National Independent Venue Association was counting on the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which was part of the “Heroes Act” stimulus package to support grassroots venues through winter.   

    “Anything less than the immediate resumption of talks would be disastrous for its hundreds of member venues. “We have been sounding the alarm since April that if our members don’t get emergency assistance, they will go under forever – and it’s happening.  This is real. We need help. We urge Congress and the White House to continue negotiations and reach a deal quickly or there will be a mass collapse of this industry.

    “The Save Our Stages Act has already passed the House [of Representatives] and has strong bipartisan support, with more than 160 Congresspeople cosponsoring, because they know independent venues can be part of our country’s economic renewal once it’s safe to welcome people back if our venues can survive this pandemic.”

    We’re also hoping for the sake of our furloughed employees that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will be extended, as people are suffering through no fault of their own.”

    – Audrey Fix Schaefer, NIVA’s Director of Communications

    Presidential candidate rival Joe Biden accused Trump of “turn[ing] his back” on Americans hit hard by the pandemic.

    “If you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child’s school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that – none of it – matters to him”

    – Joe Biden

    This news story was originally reported by IQMag.

  • Lights All Night 2020 cancels its New Year’s Eve celebration

    Lights All Night 2020 cancels its New Year’s Eve celebration

    Lights All Night 2020 issued a statement on Instagram announcing the cancellation of this year’s upcoming New Year’s Eve event due to COVID-19 concerns. 

    “This has been the note that’s been keeping us up at night. It’s true, #LAN2020 is not happening. There’s simply no way we can justify holding on to your hard-earned money with the slim hope that we’re able to gather at the end of the year.  With the gloom of COVID-19 and the current political & environmental crises this country is facing, we are finding ourselves cherishing the last decade of experience more and more each day.

    Our world desperately needs the energy, love, and compassion that Lights All Night fans, staff,  artists, and fans have been known to radiate.  While it may not feel like it, we will get back to long wild nights that create lifelong memories and Lights All Nights will return…Let’s pledge to use this time apart to further our connections with each other and provide assistance to those who need it most.” 

    – Lights All Night

    This year would have marked the 11-year anniversary of the festival, which is held annually on New Year’s Eve in Dallas, Texas.  The festival is known to feature a slew of top dance music acts including Skrillex, Bassnectar, Zedd, deadmau5, and Above & Beyond.

    Please see below the full statement issued by the festival on Instagram

  • UK curfew & restrictions are placed on live entertainment

    UK curfew & restrictions are placed on live entertainment

    The UK issued a 10 pm curfew and restrictions, which will be placed on live entertainment as a spike in COVID-19 cases begin to surge through England.  

    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently addressed the House of Commons following a briefing with Scientific advisors.  Pubs, bars, and restaurants, and any business selling food or drink will be forced to close at 10 pm starting Thursday while people have been told to work from home if they can. 

    Concert halls, theatres, and cinemas may stay open beyond the 10 pm curfew but only if the performance started before the curfew.  Venues will not be permitted to sell alcohol past this designated time.  

    The chief medical officers for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales raised the COVID-19 threat level from three to four, which means a high or rising level of transmission rate requires enforced social distancing.

    “They are reluctant steps that we’re taking, but they’re absolutely necessary because as we were reminded yesterday and as you’ve been reporting, the rate of infection is increasing, the number of people going to the hospital is increasing, therefore we need to act.”

     – The Cabinet Office Minister

    While it is still uncertain as to how long these restrictions and UK curfew will be in place, it is rumored to possibly last up to six months. 

    Further, the new £10,000 fines for those who breach social distancing legislation will be extended from individuals to businesses during this time period.

    Johnson made clear that these measures do not mean a return to lockdown conditions, since schools, colleges, and universities remain open, the opposition to this argument is urging the government to extend furlough and wage-support schemes for those out of work.

    This news was originally reported by IQ-Mag.

  • Live concert revenue is down by 64% in 2020

    Live concert revenue is down by 64% in 2020

    Live concert revenue is expected to drop-down by 64% in 2020, a staggering $18 billion dollar drop as reported by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their Global Entertainment & Media Outlook.  Further, the report estimates that $17 billion has been depleted from the value of the global music industry as a whole.

    In total, live music is expected to generate $10.4 billion in 2020, a steep decline from 2019 where it generated $29 billion and falling short of the $30.4 billion generated by recorded music this year.

    The report illustrates for the first time the devastating impact that the coronavirus has had on live entertainment with numerous restrictions place on live concert events. 

    However, the 2020–2024 Outlook report shows that live music will rebound in 2021, with worldwide revenues growing by 82.6%, to over $19 billion, as live entertainment resumes.

    Mark Maitland, PwC’s UK head of entertainment and media, says a similarly strong recovery is expected in 2021 for other industries reliant on “in-person” experiences.

    “Parts of the media sector have been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in-person activities or those reliant on advertising revenue.  This will drive a c. 7% decline in sector revenues in 2020, but in recent months we have already seen improving performance, and as such, we expect the sector revenues to return to 2019 levels in 2021.”

    – Mark Maitland

    In 2020, the report states that music streaming specifically is worth $20.4 billion, with a predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.32% going into 2024.

    Music streaming isn’t the only sector to have done well out of lockdown. Where physical experiences, such as live music, cinema, and theatre, have been particularly hard hit by the downturn, home entertainment is booming, according to PwC, with video games, Netflix, and other video streaming services being the chief “beneficiaries” of the COVID-19 crisis.

    This news was originally reported by IQMag.

  • Groove Cruise announces details for ‘Virtual Sail Aways’ Live

    Groove Cruise announces details for ‘Virtual Sail Aways’ Live

    On Aug. 13, Groove Cruise announced details for an end-of-summer, Livestream event, ‘Virtual Sail Aways Live,’ which is scheduled to take place from Aug. 21-23, 2020 on their Twitch channel.

    The live stream, which is scheduled to feature performances by over 30 electronic music and live performance artists will feature headlining performances by Markus Schulz, Morgan Page, Nifra, Emma Hewitt, and many more.  For a complete lineup, please see the below flyer.

    Groove Cruise – Virtual Sail Aways Live – Aug. 21-23, 2020

    The event will also include a Night Swim After Hours event, which is reputed to stream for over 24 hours with live music.  Also featured amidst the stream will be Whet Travel’s interactive WhetZoom video chat room for viewers to watch, dance, and donate together, simulating an in-person Groove Cruise sailing.

    Whet Travel, the pioneers behind the first floating music festival, revealed that there will also be donation incentives including free Groove Cruise merchandise, Artist Activities, and backstage experiences aboard their upcoming Miami sailing on Jan 7-11, 2021.

    All proceeds will go to Whet Travel’s 501c3 nonprofit that focuses on giving back to those facing hardships and creates exciting experiences for underprivileged children in South Florida, the Caribbean, and Mexico.   Groove Cruise’s previous virtual extravaganza saw over 100,000 viewers across all platforms. 

    The Groove Cruise Twitch will be the main hub and where donations will be collected. It will also go live on Groove Cruise Facebook, Youtube, Zoom, and Instagram pages, and we will also go live on artist, media, and partner pages, such as EVR Worldwide, to generate more exposure and donations. Each day is expected to feature over 11 hours of live entertainment and music.

  • Groove Cruise announces Virtual Sail Aways Live

    Groove Cruise announces Virtual Sail Aways Live

    On July 10, Groove Cruise announced a benefit live stream event titled, Virtual Sail Aways Live which is scheduled to be held on July 17-19 at 5:00 pm ET each day on The Groove Cruise twitch channel.  All proceeds will benefit the Whet Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.

    Marking their fifth charity-focused live stream event, Virtual Sail Aways Live will host 30+ DJs and artists with headlining talent from Christina Novelli, Nurko, Halogen, Mesto, Futuristic Polar Bears and more. Artists will be performing from locations around the world such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, New Jersey, and Miami plus there will be live visuals added to simulate a real in-person show.  

    Groove Cruise Virtual Sail Always Live
    Groove Cruise Virtual Sail Aways

    Adding to the event will also be an after hours called Night Swim where viewers can stay up all night together to watch DJs perform 10+ hour sets.  Further, #GCFAM WhetZoom parties will be hosted and can fill up to 500 people.

    The Whet Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund has eased the financial burdens of artists, health workers, former employees and partner companies that have laid off employees.  The Groove Cruise website is where anyone facing hardships from COVID-19 (including viewers) can still apply for a relief grant or donate to this cause.

    Whet Travel is the leader in independent music cruise experience Groove Cruise, which takes place twice a year departing from Miami and California.  Their relief charity events have been taking place since April with their last event raising nearly $40,000 and welcoming nearly 100,000 live viewers.