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Extract from an article from ‘The Music’ with extra material from us:
As Omicron cases surge, NSW has reintroduced restrictions that will once again have a huge impact on the live events industry with a ban on singing and dancing in hospitality venues and entertainment facilities and major events under risk of postponement. The restrictions will remain until January 27. Tamworth’s large Country Music Festival has been moved from January to April.
Victoria has reintroduced density limits of one person per two square metres at indoor hospitality venues and entertainment venues. The Brunswick Ballroom has closed for three weeks because it was unable to get enough healthy staff to run the shows. The Newstead Live festival has been cancelled.
South Australia and Queensland are also feeling the effects of the Omicron outbreak, with iconic Adelaide venue The Wheaty unable to host shows again until the state’s restrictions allow for at least 50% capacity, while Brisbane live space The Zoo was forced to close for the week as all its events were impacted by COVID. The Brisbane leg of new Aussie festival Full Tilt has also been postponed.
Western Australia’s faces a slew of cancellations across the holidays following Delta breaching the state’s hard border. Tasmania’s Cygnet Folk Festival and Festival of King Island have been cancelled for 2022.
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On Wednesday December 8 at 9am AEDT, Sounds Australia in partnership with the Association of Artist Managers will present Touring the UK & Europe In A Pandemic.
Moderated by Sounds Australia’s Dom Alessio, this virtual panel will feature speakers who have worked on 2021 UK & Europe tours for Amyl & The Sniffers, The Chemical Brothers and Passenger, as well as events such as Americanafest UK.
You will hear what it takes to put on a COVID safe and compliant tour, what it’s like being in the UK and Europe right now, and what you need to consider to start preparing for your own activity.
The panel will feature:
Ben Madden (Stage Manager, The Chemical Brothers)
Dan Medland (Artist Manager, Passenger)
Renae Brown (Festivals & Event Manager, Arby Projects)
Simone Ubaldi (Artist Manager, Amyl & The Sniffers)
It is free to attend but registration is essential. You can do that HERE.
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The River Folk Festival was scheduled for 22 to 24 October in Warburton just out of Melbourne VIC.
Sadly, the event is another in a long list of COVID-cancelled festivals and organisers will be contacting ticket holders in the near future.
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Folk Alliance Australia joins with other Australian music organisations and individuals to support COVID vaccinations as essential to the hastening of the return of our critical nation’s live music scene.
Hundreds of Australian artists, live music businesses and industry figures have joined forces on a campaign rallying for Australians to get the jab and “stop the interruptions” to the live sector.
Led by the newly-formed LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues & Entertainment), #VAXTHENATION marks the largest Australian alliance of its kind, with promoters, festivals, record labels, venues, global brands and media outlets coming together in a bid to streamline a safe return for live events across the country.
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Support Act has received an additional $20 million in funding to help support music industry artists and workers through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organisation, which helps get Australian music workers back on their feet following crisis, has announced today that they will receive the funds from the Australian Federal Government to “allow the charity to continue to bring much-needed relief to those in the music industry who have lost work, gigs and their livelihoods due to the ongoing lockdowns and restrictions”.
Applications for the next round have opened, find out more information at the Support Act website HERE.
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Major festivals in the USA such as World of Bluegrass, FAI Conference, AmericanaFest and MerleFest have recently stipulated for their 2021/2022 events that attendees have to provide proof of vaccination.
Now in Australia, the Outback Music Festival Group has just announced that it will introduce a ‘no vax, no jive’ policy for its 2022 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash and Birdsville Big Red Bash events.
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