Danish promoters call for clarity on restrictions

Concert organisers in Denmark are calling for clarity over Covid measures, with current restrictions due to expire on 16 January.

In a bid to combat the spike in omicron cases, music venues and other indoor cultural institutions were ordered to close their doors on 19 December.

Despite the Danish parliament quickly reopening compensation schemes for event organisers, smaller venues and artists, the sector is growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of guidance from the authorities about what happens next.

Esben Marcher, head of secretariat at national live music association Dansk Live, says clarification is crucial for venues and promoters going forward.

In many places, the drop in ticket sales has been quite marked

“Unfortunately, organisers have been in a similar situation in the past, and we know that preparation is crucial in the dialogue with guests, suppliers and performing artists,” he says.

“We hope and believe that we will return to normal after the current restrictions, but everyone should have the opportunity to prepare for what happens if the infection situation does not allow a phasing out of the restrictions.”

Marcher suggests the continued uncertainty was having a detrimental effect on ticket sales.

“Several venues have found that the public is reluctant to buy tickets for concerts that are set to take place on the other side of the restrictions,” he notes. “The picture is very different across the country, but in many places the drop in ticket sales has been quite marked. And it only gets worse with the current situation.

“Overall, this calls for the need for a recovery effort to be taken very seriously from a political point of view.”

Denmark’s music industry lost over 3 billion krone (€403m) in revenue in 2020 according to a new report commissioned by Dansk Live and the Danish Chamber of Commerce, among others.

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