Festival Consultant Advises No Fests in 2020

WASHINGTON - April 15, 2020 - PRLog -- First the shootings, then a real global plague, just like the Spanish influenza in 2018 killing every human it can, shutting down every live performance on planet earth.

Pay for a 2-dimensional screen view of a band is not an option. That's not a music festival. It's a streaming performance into your room. The difference is the LIVE and "FESTIVAL" parts. A festival is a congregation of people celebrating music and life. .

Cloistered in his MD office, Hal Davidson said, "Festivals, in particular major music festivals, the ones that make money, don't have options this year. How do you plan now for the unknowing 4-6 months from now, fall 2020? Would you buy a ticket anytime soon? Where did you find the money to pay for tickets, travel, expenses?"

"If even one infected ticket holder enters your event and infects others during the show, those COVID-19 recipients provide you with a world of liability. If many people are infected, you are then facing the possibility of class-action suit against your promotion company",
Hal said. By January, corona virus cancellation provisions disappeared from event insurance coverage. The promoter and the promoter's company is opening themselves for legal exposure by presenting a live performance allowing people to be close.

The show's talent needs to be booked way in advance, and yet no agent is going to say yes to their expensive artists touring in this environment or any environment where there is not close to 100% surety that their act is safe.

Starting from scratch, it takes 8 months to a year to put a major music festival together. But its about booking the talent enough advance so that you have all of the bands you want for that show on that date. There is no security until there is widespread testing and a global vaccine. People fly, that's what started all of this.

2021? What if it rebounds? Due to the above timeline requirements and that it all rides on performer's willingness to take a chance first, next year looks doubtful. A year for the vaccine, then to distribute it, and for dotted cases to disappear, my promoting friends, the smart money would be on 2022 for festivals to resume. Festivals have adjusted during the violent era, and will now change for a post-virus festival world.

Hal Davidson is the Promoter of Stompin 76, Rock Fiesta and others. He's promoted concerts, casinos, trade shows, resorts, circus, ice shows and is an author. http://www.concert-promotions.com  http://www.rentapromoter.com