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A guide for reopening music venues after the pandemic has been published

The 29-page guide is directed at event professionals and venues

Members of the Event Safety Alliance have released a 29-page guide for reopening music venues in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Steven Adelman and Jacob Worek from the ESA coordinated with over 400 music industry professionals  to compile the guide, which outlines the possible health risks that will come with reopening venues and holding events post lockdown, and potential solutions to them.

The document discusses topics such as the legal and responsible point at which a venue can and should reopen, emphasising that “a government directive legally allowing you to reopen does not mean you can do so safely”.

The guide provides extensive information on subjects including patron education,  worker health and hygiene, PPE, practice for cases of illness, queue management, food and drink and social distancing. You can read the full guide here

“This document contains no ‘best practices’ that apply everywhere,” the guide’s writers state. “[Coronavirus] creates different challenges depending on countless factors, including the size of the event, its geographic location, the physical space, and the anticipated attendees, to name just a few. Instead, in the order one would plan an event, we have identified reasonably foreseeable health risks and suggested options to mitigate them.”

In April, the UK’s Music Venue Trust launched the #saveourvenues campaign to raise funds and highlight the challenges faced by small music venues and clubs amid the coronavirus lockdown. Within a week of launching, the campaign received over £1 million in donations.