COVID-19 Can’t Cancel ALL Concerts

With the pandemic recently reaching its one-year anniversary, it seems the return for live music may not be as far as expected. Due to COVID-19, most live music events around the globe were canceled. Some were rescheduled, some have been postponed until further notice, and the remainder were unfortunately canceled. One of those being arguably the most recognizable music festival of all time, Coachella.

Not only did the California music concert series cancel its 2020 event, but also their planned event for October 2021. The live music industry has lost a record amount of money due to the pandemic and the events of 2020. This is not saying there were not live music alternatives for people to catch from the comfort of their living room.

Occurring on April 18^th 2020, Global Citizen and WHO partnered together to craft one of the first benefit virtual concert series of the pandemic. All of the money raised during the event would be donated to support the U.N. Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. A variety of artists, curated by Lady Gaga, came together to perform for the virtual event.

Some musical acts even hosted their own live show. “Studio 2054” was the name of English artist Dua Lipa’s own live show concert. With the help of a multitude of artists including names such as Elton John, Miley Cyrus, and Kylie Minogue; the show reached 5 million viewers live. This high viewership even broke records for live paid programming.

With all this being said, when is live music coming back? It seems that day is soon to be on the horizon.

The dates of 2020’s lost concerts and tours are reaching their dues this summer. Not only are live venues possibly going to be able to make a recovery, but music festivals also may make their return sooner rather than later. The Life is Beautiful Festival was just recently announced to begin on September 17^th and will take place in Las Vegas. The seemingly first huge live music festival since the pandemic features big-name headliners Billie Eilish, Green Day, and Tame Impala. As the vaccination rollout continues and the COVID-19 restrictions weaken, the “new normal” seems to contain a lot more music in it. Let’s hope this continues to be the case as more live events take place effectively and safely.