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BBC News Published image copyrightGetty Images The end to lockdown is in sight, but how normal a summer can we all look forward to? If your normality is drinking warm cider in a muddy field and singing your heart out with thousands of others, it s suddenly looking a bit more positive. That and the government s plan to scrap limits on social contact in England by 21 June, if Covid is under control, is giving those working in the industry cautious hope. But there s plenty to consider when it comes to the risks and the jobs of those who rely on festivals. ....
Last modified on Fri 22 Jan 2021 10.22 EST After the cancellation of this year’s Glastonbury festival cast doubt on whether this year’s UK festival season could go ahead, British event organisers say that a lack of insurance is “the biggest barrier” to their viability. But the government is resisting a commitment to providing indemnity for the sector, akin to the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme announced in July. Many festivals are not insured for communicable diseases and the insurance market is not offering Covid-19 cover for cancellation and business interruption. In response to the Glastonbury cancellation, the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said on Thursday: “We continue to help the arts on recovery, including problems around getting insurance.” It is not clear whether insurance was a factor in the Glastonbury organisers’ decision. ....
Last modified on Fri 22 Jan 2021 14.20 EST The UK’s £1.1bn live music scene is nervously eyeing the summer months, after this week’s Glastonbury cancellation cast doubt on the viability of the festival season. Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel have each refused to be drawn on when coronavirus restrictions might lift, with a Johnson spokesperson not ruling out lockdown still being in place by summer. That would make festivals – where avoiding social distancing is very much the point – an impossibility for the second year in a row. Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis said that “in spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year”. It was due to begin on 23 June. Earlier this month, pop-rock band the 1975 also cancelled their one-day festival in Finsbury Park, London, in July alongside the rest of their year’s touring, citing fan and crew safety. ....