Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino has been bullish on concerts and festivals returning in 2021 and now we have further evidence that he is convinced of this idea. According to a published report by Kerrang (via IQ Mag) Rapino spoke on an Investors call on November 5th in which he said expects concerts to return “at scale” next year, depending on the region.He further shared that the promoters were working on a “roadmap to get back to live safely”, with current “progress on testing technology treatments and vaccines” looking encouraging. Though Michael admitted the “exact timeline of this return will vary by region, and so we continue to focus on remaining flexible”, he added that Live Nation “expect shows at scale next summer”.
“From venue sanitation procedures to fan-friendly policies and on ticket purchases and the latest testing options, we are setting standards that will give the fans, crews and artists peace of mind before, during and after the show,” he opined.
Opinions have been mixed industry-wide for concerts, tours, and festivals which has ground to a halt since March 2020 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. We still don’t have a vaccine, although Pfizer has made progress that may bear fruit soon. Many touring experts as well as a leading healthcare expert said shows will not come back until late 2021 – or 2022 potentially. Live Nation/Ticketmaster got into hot water with fans with a quiet policy change by summertime, curbing the ability for fans to get refunds for postponed, but not canceled shows. This led to some bands canceling tours entirely and giving the fans their money back, such as Tool.