Live music industry 'incredibly disappointed' by ongoing lack of clarity on reopening

At a meeting with Arts Minister Catherine Martin, representatives of the live events industry heard that no reopening date or detailed roadmap for reopening could be given, despite the minister’s best efforts.

Representatives of Ireland’s live events industry have spoken of their “incredible disappointment” at not receiving a definitive date for the reopening of their sector from the Government.

At a meeting with Arts Minister Catherine Martin today, the representatives heard that no reopening date or detailed roadmap for reopening could be given, despite the minister’s best efforts.

Ms Martin told the meeting that she had presented a possible roadmap for reopening to the Cabinet Subcommittee on Covid on August 6, but that it had not been approved. She said she had expressed her “deep concern” for the industry to all three Government party leaders.

Arts Minister Catherine Martin said she had presented a possible roadmap for reopening to the Cabinet Subcommittee on Covid on August 6, but that it had not been approved. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Much criticism of Ireland’s perceived intransigence regarding the reopening of live events has stemmed from the contrast with the same industry in the UK, where maskless mass gatherings are taking place in many areas.

Matt McGranaghan, spokesperson for the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland said that his grouping is “incredibly disappointed that we don’t have commitment to a date that we so desperately need and want”. 

However, he said that Ms Martin’s address to the meeting had been “impassioned” and, he felt, displayed “genuine frustration and anger” on her part “at the fact we aren’t reopened”.

He said it is “really quite bizarre” that the minister is not on the Cabinet Covid Subcommittee, given her responsibility for the sector.

“We are now making an appeal directly to the Taoiseach in order to show the respect to the sector that it deserves after 18 months,” said Mr McGranaghan.

He said that the Government is treating the industry “as one size fits all”. 

“But there could and should be opportunities, that is beyond any shadow of a doubt,” he said.

Sunil Sharpe, a DJ and spokesperson for Give Us The Night, said that while he had not been expecting a definitive date from the meeting as “that isn’t the Government’s form”, nevertheless “we can’t just be given a date at the end of August and told that doors can reopen in a few days”.

“There are too many other considerations like licensing. We definitely need a window of time to prepare for returning.”

Mr Sharpe said that “we are now at the stage where things have to reopen or people will leave the industry”.

“We as a country need to be a little bit ambitious, to bite the bullet and take what might be seen as a bit of a risk, rather than simply taking no decision,” he said.

Earlier, Melvin Benn, festival director of Electric Picnic, which was recently denied a licence for its 2021 event by Laois County Council, criticised the “lack of leadership” coming from the Government with regard to the reopening of the music industry.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio, Mr Benn said that the difference between Ireland and the US and UK, where he also runs a number of large festivals, is “political leadership”.

“I mean, it’s the same virus, it isn’t a different virus in Ireland than it is in the UK or America. It isn’t a different science, the science is as clear as it comes,” he said.

I am just angry, really, really angry because it is unnecessary, it’s wrong.

“The level of vaccination in Ireland is just incredibly high as I said before, you would win the gold medal for the speed of which it started to roll out and I am angry because it’s wrong.”

He claimed that Nphet has “created a culture of fear” and that there is no “political leadership that is challenging that or moving it on”.