Live Nation UK Cancels Drive-In Concert Tour Less Than Three Weeks After Announcement
Keep calm and carry on, live music fans. The concert industry will come back soon—just not as soon as we'd hoped.
Live Nation UK has announced the cancellation of its drive-in concert series for the hit British musical Six. It was scheduled for 12 dates in different cities, taking place at venues such as airports and race courses with a capacity of 300 cars per show. Since some shows sold out since the tour's June 19th announcement, Live Nation said ticket-holders will receive full refunds.
Scheduled performers included The Streets, Ash, Sigala, Gary Numan, Skindred, Brand New Heavies, and Dizzee Rascal. The musical's producer, Kenny Wax, said the tour had "been designed not as a money-maker but to put dozens of freelancers back to work," according to a BBC report.
This week, however, the UK government started to implement local lockdowns, starting with Leicester in the East Midlands. As a result, Live Nation decided to cancel the series in full, citing potential future lockdowns as the catalyst.
"We received huge support from artists, the live music production contractors... and of course you, the fans," the company said in a statement. "However, the latest developments regarding localised lockdowns mean it has become impossible for us to continue with the series with any confidence. We thank everyone for their support and eagerly await a time when we can watch live music together again."
