Belfast invests £400k into developing local scene

Belfast City Council is set to invest £400,000 in the city’s live music sector, three years after being named a UNESCO City of Music.

The latest round of funding is designated to bolster the development of local artists and the local music scene while maximising opportunities gained through the UNESCO designation.

The Northern Irish capital city is the only city on the island to earn the accolade, and the third across the British Isles after Glasgow and Liverpool. Globally, 75 cities have been awarded the distinction.

“A huge amount of work has gone into maximising the benefits of our UNESCO City of Music status and ensuring we support and strengthen our industry to unlock its potential to create jobs, develop vibrancy and help people access the arts,” says Micky Murray, Belfast lord mayor.

“With council’s support, this good work will continue, giving our musicians and those working in the gig economy the tools, skills and opportunities to develop their careers, both in Belfast and beyond our shores,” he says.

Since earning the distinction in 2021, the Belfast city council has developed a Music Matters roadmap and established the Belfast Region Music Board. Last June, the council partnered with Music Venues Trust to inject £20,000 into grassroots venues, aligning with their Music Matters initiative to upgrade spaces and equipment for local spaces.

“This funding will help further embed music in the heart of our city and offer a platform for all who contribute to its world-beating calibre”

Last October, the council announced a £5.9 million investment to deliver the city’s “biggest ever cultural and creative celebration” across a months-long initiative this year, generating over 200 events, workshops, and activities through November.

The Belfast 2024 programme, described by former lord mayor Michael Long as a “game-changer”, was designed to boost both local and international tourism.

This programming includes the UNESCO City of Music Day, set for 9 November, which will feature artists from fellow music city Kansas City, as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.

“With this £400,000 investment, we’re focused on creating real opportunities for independent artists, venues and initiatives across all genres,” says Brian Coney, Belfast Region Music Board member. “The support for grassroots talent, alongside larger projects, demonstrates how seriously we take Belfast’s rich musical heritage and its future.”

“This funding will help further embed music in the heart of our city and offer a platform for all who contribute to its world-beating calibre.”

IQ dug into the music scene of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in our latest market feature, as part of the latest edition of IQ.

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Bruce Springsteen to reach Irish ticket milestone

Bruce Springsteen will have played to one million fans in Ireland over the course of his career by the end of his latest tour, according to promoter Peter Aiken.

The Boss brings his world tour to Belfast’s Boucher Road in Northern Ireland on 9 May, followed by shows in Ireland at Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park (12 May), Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork (16 May) and Dublin’s Croke Park (19 May).

“One million people in Ireland will have been to see him. It’s phenomenal,” the Aiken Promotions chief tells PA, as per Yahoo! News.

Aiken says that very few artists have sold one million tickets in Ireland, north and south of the border, and suggests that younger generations discovering Springsteen’s music are helping fuel demand for the 74-year-old’s live shows in the region.

“There’s people my age at the concerts but there’s a lot of young people who go too, it’s great”

“His youngest fanbase in the world is in Ireland. If you went to other countries it would all be people like me,” he says. “I think young people listen to him with their parents. They are in the car and then eventually they do like it. I said that to my kids when they were listening to Bob Dylan, that one day you will like it, and they do now. There’s people my age at the concerts but there’s a lot of young people who go too, it’s great. It’s just the way we are here. It will be amazing.”

The Irish Times reports that Springsteen has played 28 concerts in Ireland to date, adding that it was Aiken’s father, Jim, who invited him to perform his first Irish concert at Slane Castle in 1985.

Springsteen’s 20-plus date European stadium run with The E Street Band kicks off in the UK at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on 5 May, finishing back at London’s Wembley Stadium on 25 & 27 July. It will also take in France, Czechia, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

The global outing ranked in third place on Pollstar’s list of 2023’s highest-grossing worldwide tours, generating $379.5 million from 3.5 million ticket sales for 66 concerts. More than 1.6m tickets were sold for last year’s European leg, which included three nights in Ireland at Dublin’s RDS Arena.

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Northern Ireland police warn of ticket scams

Police in Northern Ireland are warning music fans not to fall for scams when trying to get hold of tickets for concerts, after figures show that fraudsters last year conned people out of close to £300,000 in the province.

Data from Action Fraud shows nationally in the UK £6.7 million was lost to this type of crime in the past year, although the figure only includes reported crime, and it’s believed many fans do not report losses to the authorities. In Northern Ireland, the total reported losses came in at £291,344.36 with 299 reports made.

Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, chief superintendent Gerard Pollock notes that not only does this fraud leave people out of pocket financially, but will also leave them left outside at the doors of concert venues. “We’ve had reports of people buying tickets through social media platforms, thinking they’re getting the real deal only to find out the money they’ve shelled out is to someone who isn’t genuine, and the tickets they’ve paid hundreds of pounds for never existed in the first place,” says Pollock.

“With some big names on tour this summer, demand is always high for those concerts which have in reality been sold out months in advance. Avid fans are being exploited, often by organised criminals, in the hope of seeing their heroes live.”

“Too often, we see reports of tickets that don’t materialise at all, or are just screenshots of genuine tickets that won’t get you any farther than the ticket barrier”

In its campaign to protect fans from falling victim to the scammers, Police Service Northern Ireland state that ticket fraud often involves the use of images and graphics taken from genuine sellers to make fake websites look like the real deal. Advertisements or offers may appear genuine, but there will be subtle differences buyers should look closely at, such as the website address.

A recent example includes a report of a person who thought they’d bought Taylor Swift tickets for £400 via an online ‘Buy and Sell’ page. The person was then asked to pay a further sum of money for a change of name, which they did. Once all the money was transferred, the buyer was blocked by the seller. The tickets never arrived, and the person was swindled out of their money. Another instance saw someone losing £600 over fake Taylor Swift tickets.

With summer gigs and events fast approaching, CS Pollock says people should only buy tickets from legitimate, authorised ticket sellers and resellers as criminals will exploit the eagerness by fans to get their hands on tickets for a show or gig they really want to go to.

“I would also urge parents buying tickets for children and young adults going to a concert, and those who make a last-minute decision to go to a concert, to be really cautious when buying your ticket,” says Pollock. “Too often, we see reports of tickets that don’t materialise at all, or are just screenshots of genuine tickets that won’t get you any farther than the ticket barrier.

“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”

“The safest way to ensure tickets bought are genuine is to purchase them from the authorised ticket seller or authorised re-seller. We’d also advise against buying tickets from other sources, such as third parties because you can never be sure of the validity and authenticity of the tickets. When purchasing a ticket from a reseller you should also check the re-sale or transfer policy for that concert, often there are strict policies regarding how tickets can be sold or transferred, breaching these can mean your ticket is invalid.”

The Police Service is urging people to follow its ‘Stop. Check. Report.’ advice to recognise signs of ticket fraud before getting caught. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” warns Pollock.

STOP – Whilst it’s always tempting to rush in and buy those hot tickets, don’t rush into buying a ticket. Do not transfer money by bank transfer and only pay by a protect payment method.

CHECK – Check the website or re-seller you are buying from before you buy. Check the event’s ticket re-sale policy to make sure tickets re-sold remain valid, or if there is a designated resale agent, or specific policies for that event or venue. Check the venue / event’s own website. If you have bought a ticket and you are concerned about the validity of it check with the event on its validity.

REPORT – If you lose money in a ticket fraud, don’t just shake it off, report it to police at www.psni.police.uk/report or to your bank. You can also report to Action Fraud on www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling police.

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NI fests Emerge and Belsonic boost economy by £30m

The 2023 editions of Belsonic Festival and Emerge Music Festival generated additional economic activity amounting to £30.8 million (€36m) and created almost 6,000 paid employment opportunities according to an independent report.

Belsonic, in the city’s Ormeau Park, and Emerge, held in Boucher Fields, attracted more than 200,000 paid attendees between them, with ticket holders travelling from as far away as Australia, USA & mainland Europe – further boosting the events’ impact on Northern Ireland’s tourism sector.

Economist Chris Carey conducted the study alongside live entertainment consultant Tim Chambers. They found that Belsonic, which was established in 2008 and has since become Northern Ireland’s largest live music event, generated £20.4m of additional economic activity last year, thanks in no small part to a lineup that included Lizzo, Tom Jones, Lionel Richie, George Ezra, David Guetta & Florence & The Machine.

Emerge, which launched in 2022, has quickly established itself as Ireland’s premier electronic music festival. Its 2023 two-day edition featured over 50 acts across four stages, including headliners Carl Cox, Bicep, Camelphat, and Charlotte deWitte.

“Events such as Belsonic and Emerge are considerable economic drivers providing a much needed boost for our local tourism and hospitality industry”

“These economic impact figures are startling, and clearly indicative of the broader & hugely positive economic benefit to Belfast and beyond,” says festival director Alan Simms. “Hospitality businesses, private transport, public services and many other key areas of the local economy benefit on show nights, and the local tourism industry and hotel occupancy always see a strong boost, not to mention the thousands of staff and local suppliers employed at these and our other events.

“We are delighted to see our events contribute to the local economy in such a substantial fashion both with the large summer events and the many other concerts and event we produce throughout the rest of the year.”

Welcoming the research of Carey and Chambers, Northern Ireland Economy Minister Conor Murphy comments, “Events such as Belsonic and Emerge are considerable economic drivers providing a much needed boost for our local tourism and hospitality industry.  Employing thousands of people each year, they also engender a feel good factor and a sense of pride that shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Promising further contribution to Belfast’s coffers, Belsonic returns to Ormeau Park in June, where headliners will be Take That, Sting, Shania Twain, Becky Hill & Limp Bizkit. Emerge, meanwhile, is promising a substantial expansion for its 2024 event, which is scheduled for 24-25 August.

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Arctic Monkeys reveal world tour finale

Arctic Monkeys are returning to Dublin and Belfast for a series of arena dates to mark the end of their The Car Tour.

The rock band, who will be supported by special guest Miles Kane, will play three nights at Dublin’s 3Arena on 15, 17 & 19 October, as well as a one-off concert at The SSE Arena in Belfast on 16 October.

Booked by 13 Artists, the dates follow the cancellation of the band’s summer show at Dublin’s 40,000-cap Marlay Park after frontman Alex Turner was diagnosed with acute laryngitis.

The rock band start their 30-date North American tour leg in Minneapolis this Thursday

Previous ticket holders will be sent a unique access code and will be given 72-hour priority pre-sale access. Only the same number of tickets, or less, purchased previously for Marlay Park will be available to purchase for these new dates.
All remaining tickets will be made available for sale on Tuesday 29 August.

Arctic Monkeys’ 119-date world tour, staged in support of their seventh studio album The Car, began at Zorlu PSM in Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2022. The quartet start their 30-date North American tour leg in Minneapolis this Thursday 25 August, which concludes with two nights at Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City on 6-7 October.

The British group headlined multiple festivals this summer around the globe, including Glastonbury, Rock Werchter, Open’er, Bilbao BBK Live and NOS Alive. They also embarked on their biggest UK and Ireland tour of their career to date with a string of stadium dates in May and June 2023, including three sold-out shows at London’s 60,000-cap Emirates Stadium.

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NI study shows live music’s importance to economy

The economic importance of music to Northern Ireland (NI) has been underlined by a new study.

Figures published ahead of today’s (16 November) Music Cities event at Sound of Belfast and the NI Music Prize show that live music and music creators account for more than 75% of the sector’s overall gross value (GVA).

The music sector in NI contributed almost £345m to the economy in 2019 and accounted for almost 6,500 jobs. The direct music sector contributed £115 million in GVA and 3,600 jobs, having almost doubled since the last economic study in 2013.

Prior to the pandemic, concerts and festivals held in NI attracted over one million attendees each year. According to UK Music, 234,000 music tourists visited the country in 2019, generating £81m in tourist spend.

“The publication of these figures represents an important step in educating policy makers on the vital role that music plays in supporting the NI economy”

“The publication of these figures represents an important step in educating policy makers on the vital role that music plays in supporting the NI economy,” says Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre. “Music is more than a hobby or a ‘nice to have’; it provides jobs for thousands of employed and freelance staff across the region, from artist managers, record producers and music technology companies through to individuals working in talent development roles, as we do at Oh Yeah.

“Collectively, we are not just a rich community asset, but an economic keystone. At our Music Cities afternoon and the NI Music Prize, we will be celebrating all of those who work in our sector, including the behind-the-scenes champions of creativity and innovation.”

The research, which does not take into account Covid’s impact on the sector, was commissioned by communications firm Fourth Pillar and supported by Northern Ireland Screen with funding provided by the Department for Communities. The research was independently conducted by economists Metro Dynamics.

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NI’s Belsonic team launches Emerge Music Festival

The team behind Northern Ireland’s Belsonic concert series has unveiled the new two-day Emerge Music Festival.

The 20,000-cap electronic music-focused event will be held at Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast from 27-28 August with headliners Eric Prydz, Disclosure, Peggy Gou and Patrick Topping.

The first year will see more than 40 acts across three stages, including the likes of Kettama, Mall Grab, Michael Bibi, DJ Seinfeld, Dusky, Special Request, FJAKK and Rebekah.

“The electronic music scene is one that has grown steadily in Belfast over the 30-odd years that I’ve been promoting in the city”

“The electronic music scene is one that has grown steadily in Belfast over the 30-odd years that I’ve been promoting in the city with my Shine brand, and it’s grown exponentially over the last few years,” says co-promoter Alan Simms of Shine Productions. “Belfast is one of the most fertile and dynamic scenes of its kind in the UK or Ireland. We’ve promoted many large scale outdoor electronic events in recent years but always wanted to do a huge multistage event of this kind.

“Feedback from our audience suggested that a huge appetite exists for a unique production of this kind in Northern Ireland. We’re lucky to have some of the world’s biggest names in dance music on our inaugural line-up of Emerge Music Festival, most of whom we’ve been working with since their very first club shows in the country.”

Day tickets are priced from £55 (€66), with weekend tickets available from £95 (€114).

The 15,000-cap Belsonic returns to Belfast’s Ormeau Park from 13-26 June with headline acts such as Iron Maiden, Gerry Cinnamon, Calvin Harris, Liam Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi.

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Friday round-up: Omicron live music restrictions

Welcome to IQ’s Friday round-up of the latest restrictions affecting major international touring markets.

Below you’ll find the latest information on certification schemes, social distancing requirements, mask mandates, capacity restrictions and lockdowns affecting key live music markets around the globe.

Belgium
As of today (28 January), a ‘coronavirus barometer’ is in force in Belgium and the country will start in ‘code red’.

With the exception of nightclubs and dance halls, all indoor spaces belonging to the cultural, festive, sporting, recreational and events sectors may be opened to the public. Wearing a face mask remains mandatory in public areas.

For public events, a valid Covid Safe Ticket (CST) is required when there are more than 50 attendees indoors and 100 outdoors. If the event takes place outside with more than 1,000 people, attendees must be divided into cohorts.

If an event takes place with more than 200 people, the crowd must be limited to 70% of the total capacity of the place where the event takes place. However, if the indoor air quality target can be met during the event, this restriction does not apply.

Venues with more than 50 capacity are required to have an air quality meter (CO2) in the indoor areas accessible to the public.

The target value for indoor air quality is a flow rate of at least 40 m³/hour per person of ventilation and/or air purification or a maximum CO2 concentration of 900 ppm (parts per million).

The indoor air quality limit is a flow rate of 25 m³/hour per person for ventilation and/or air purification or a CO2 concentration of 1200 ppm.

In principle, the rules will apply until 27 April but the epidemiological conditions will be closely monitored and the measures will be evaluated at the next Consultative Committee.

Catalonia
Catalonia will begin to relax almost all restrictions from today (28 January) but nightclubs must remain closed.

The Covid passport will not be mandatory to access leisure and entertainment facilities, and cultural venues will no longer have a capacity limit.

However, at indoor events where there are more than 1,000 people, it is recommended that venues have a good ventilation system.

Denmark
Denmark’s live music business has cheered “a day to celebrate” after it became the first country in the EU to announce it is ending all coronavirus measures.

The country will no longer categorise Covid-19 as a “socially critical” illness from 5 February, with PM Mette Frederiksen telling citizens they will be able to look forward to “concerts and festivals again” this summer.

The authorities will remove restrictions from 1 February due to Denmark’s high (81%) vaccination rate and the Omicron variant appearing to be milder than previous variants. Despite a recent surge in infections, Covid-related hospitalisations remain low.

The Netherlands
The Dutch government has announced the reopening of the cultural sector, under certain conditions.

From 26 January, booked events are permitted to resume with a maximum of 1,250 visitors indoors and a maximum of one-third of the capacity in outdoor spaces.

However, access to music venues and cinemas will be restricted to those who have been vaccinated (geimpft), have recovered from Covid (gensesen) or have been tested against Covid (getestet) – otherwise known as the 3G model.

Attendees must also wear a face mask when walking around. Venues and events must adhere to a 22:00 curfew.

Nightclubs must remain closed and festivals and unplaced events will continue to be prohibited.

New Zealand
A ‘staggering’ number of major events across New Zealand have been cancelled and more are expected, following the country’s recent move to red in the Covid traffic light system.

From 23 January, indoor and outdoor events across the country are limited to 100 people and the use of vaccine passports is mandatory.

The move to red in the Covid traffic light system comes after a cluster of nine Omicron cases were recorded.

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland announced that proof of Covid status will no longer be legally required for entry to bars, restaurants or cinemas from 26 January.

Indoor standing events are now permitted again and nightclubs, which were forced to close on 26 December, are allowed to open.

Covid passports will remain in use for access to nightclubs, as well as for indoor unseated and partially-seated events with 500 or more people in attendance.

Norway
The Norwegian government has rolled back restrictions and increased capacity limits for events.

From 21 January, there can be up to 1,500 people at indoor events with fixed seats. Where there are more than 200 people present, events can have a maximum of 50% capacity, divided into cohorts of up to 200 people. There must always be at least two metres distance between the cohorts.

For outdoor events with fixed seats, there can be up to 3,000 people. Where there are more than 500 people present, events can have a maximum of 50% capacity, divided into socially distanced cohorts of up to 500 people.

The government will review the measures at the beginning of February.

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More European markets rollback restrictions

The Dutch government is to announce the reopening of the cultural sector, under certain conditions.

As of tomorrow (26 January), booked events are permitted to resume with a maximum of 1,250 visitors indoors and a maximum of one-third of the capacity in outdoor spaces.

However, access to music venues and cinemas will be restricted to those who have been vaccinated (geimpft), have recovered from Covid (gensesen) or have been tested against Covid (getestet) – otherwise known as the 3G model.

Attendees must also wear a face mask when walking around. Venues and events must adhere to a 22:00 curfew.

Music venues have been closed and events banned since a lockdown was imposed on 19 December.

Nightclubs must remain closed and festivals and unplaced events will continue to be prohibited.

[In the Netherlands], nightclubs must remain closed and festivals and unplaced events will continue to be prohibited

Elsewhere, the Norwegian government has rolled back restrictions and increased capacity limits for events.

As of last Friday (21 January), there can be up to 1,500 people at indoor events with fixed seats. Where there are more than 200 people present, events can have a maximum of 50% capacity, divided into cohorts of up to 200 people. There must always be at least two metres distance between the cohorts.

For outdoor events with fixed seats, there can be up to 3,000 people. Where there are more than 500 people present, events can have a maximum of 50% capacity, divided into socially distanced cohorts of up to 500 people.

The government will review the measures at the beginning of February.

[In N.Ireland], proof of Covid status will no longer be legally required for entry to bars, restaurants or cinemas

Northern Ireland has also announced a relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions that were introduced in December due to the Omicron variant.

Proof of Covid status will no longer be legally required for entry to bars, restaurants or cinemas from 12:00 GMT tomorrow (26 January).

Also from tomorrow, indoor standing events will be permitted again and nightclubs, which were forced to close on 26 December, will be allowed to reopen.

Covid passports will remain in use for access to nightclubs, as well as for indoor unseated and partially-seated events with 500 or more people in attendance.

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UK markets announce plans to ease restrictions

Wales and Scotland have announced plans to roll back their Covid-19 restrictions.

In Scotland, restrictions on large outdoor events will come to an end on Monday 17 January.

The move will allow fans to return to outdoor concerts and football matches, after Covid restrictions were put in place on Boxing Day, reducing outdoor events to a capacity of 500.

Event organisers will now have to check the vaccine certification of at least 50% of attendees, rather than the current 20%, or at least 1,000 people, depending on which figure is higher.

From Monday the requirement to be ‘fully vaccinated’ for the purposes of Covid certification will include having a booster if the second dose was more than four months ago.

It will still be possible to gain admission to events and venues covered by the certification scheme by providing proof of a recent negative lateral flow test, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

Nightclubs have been closed since 26 December but the First Minister has said that all restrictions, including the closure of nightclubs, could be lifted from 24 January.

Scotland has said that all restrictions, including the closure of nightclubs, could be lifted from 24 January

In Wales, the First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced the relaxing of the rules and stated that the peak of the Omicron wave is now behind the country.

The relaxation will begin this Saturday (15 January) when the number of people allowed to attend an outdoor event will rise from 50 to 500.

From Friday 21 January, crowds will be allowed to return to sporting events and there will be no limits on those attending outdoor events.

From Friday 28 January, nightclubs can reopen and hospitality venues will be allowed to operate normally, although Covid passes will still be required for large events, cinemas, nightclubs and theatres.

From Thursday 10 February, Wales will return to a three-week review cycle as the country returns to alert level 0.

From 28 January, nightclubs in Wales can reopen and hospitality venues will be allowed to operate normally

Northern Ireland is also considering lifting some Covid-19 restrictions next week, First Minister Paul Givan has revealed.

Since 26 December, indoor standing events have not been permitted. For outdoor and indoor events, either proof of vaccination, a negative lateral flow test or proof of recovery from Covid-19 is required.

Nightclubs are currently closed while hospitality businesses are operating under a series of restrictions. Givan said businesses needed to be able to operate “normally”.

He added that relaxation would depend on health advice received by the executive ahead of its meeting next week, but stressed that so far the picture was “encouraging”.

In England, restrictions were last updated on 15 December, from which point vaccine passports and facemasks have been required in order to attend concerts.

The wearing of face masks is mandated in all venues where crowds gather, and Covid certificates are needed for: venues where large crowds gather, including nightclubs; unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people; and unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people.

The introduction of a negative LFT in the certification scheme, meanwhile, followed extended lobbying by the sector to include the measure in any new restrictions.

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