In a seemingly bolt from the blue, UK Prime Minister has revealed that from Saturday, August 1st England will be able to enjoy indoor music events once more. Understandably, this will also mean strict safety measures must be adhered to in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The UK premiere has come in for huge amounts of pressure over his terrible handling of the pandemic, but this move could hand a number of venues the lifeline that they sorely need after their application for the Furlough scheme had been denied. It is not known if these measures will be rolled out to other parts of the UK, but this is a step in the right direction as long as it is done in a safe and controlled way.
As well as this news regarding indoor events returning, the UK government has also announced that it will be slashing the amount of value-added tax (VAT) that is applied to concert and events tickets. The amount has been reduced from 20% to 5% and this will come into effect from Wednesday, July 15th, and will last for 6 months. This VAT reduction will apply to all areas of the UK and is seen a measure taken to support the UK’s iconic live music industry.
