Should We Even Bother With Events Until We Can Attend Them Properly?

News & Features

The UK's first socially-distanced live music venue is set to open in August 2020.

An artist 's impression of a little south concert

"It is likely that the groups will be pre-booked together so no new contact with strangers."

Social distancing measures are still in place due to the worldwide coronavirus threat but many countries, including the UK, are easing their restrictions. This weekend UK pubs and restaurants can reopen with strict social distancing measures in place. Nightclubs and theatres are to remain closed for now.

Many large events have been cancelled with festivals moving plans to next year when restrictions are hoped to have eased. Not all events have been cancelled and we are hearing that the UK's first socially-distant music venue will open this summer.

The Virgin Money Unity Arena will open in Newcastle this summer and is expected to offer a range of live entertainment from bands, films and DJ sets courtesy of SSD concerts who plan major artist bookings.

From the visual plans it looks like people will be grouped together in fenced sections 2 metres apart. It is likely that the groups will be pre-booked together so no new contact with strangers.

Is this a good idea? Should we even bother with plans like this if we can't do it properly and socialise? More concerning is that if this plan is popular it could pave the way for events in the future. Or is this just what we need to kick start the live music industry and give us what are missing right now?

The managing director of SSD concerts, Steve Davis says: "Since all of our scheduled concerts have been postponed to later in the year and all venues in the city closed, the staff at SSD had a willingness to continue. We can’t be without music during these times so our only thought has been how can we bring music back to the British public safely and responsibly. We have been hosting loads of live sessions and DJ sets across our social media, supporting local artists and raising money for the NHS. Now, we’re taking it one step further as the UK slowly comes out of Lockdown."
The little south logo is on a blue background.

Written by

Editorial Team • 3 July 2020

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