Eras Tour ‘to generate £300m for London economy’
London’s economy is set to benefit to the tune of £300 million (€355m) as the UK capital prepares to host more performances of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour than any other city in the world.
Swift launches her eight-night run at Wembley Stadium this weekend, with three shows from 21-23 June. She will then return later this summer for the remaining five dates on 15-17 & 19-20 August.
The 80,000-cap shows will see her crowned as the biggest-selling female artist to ever perform at the London venue, in addition to setting a new record for the longest residency of a solo artist at Wembley.
“The Eras Tour has broken records and created huge excitement so I’m delighted that Taylor Swift has chosen to perform more nights in London than anywhere else in the world,” says London mayor Sadiq Khan. “Her eight performances will bring nearly 700,000 fans from across the country and beyond to Wembley Stadium, providing a huge boost to our hospitality industry and further proof that London is the greatest city in the world to watch live music.
A range of special events and celebrations have been set up across London to mark the performances: Wembley Park is hosting two new public artworks, including a giant mural on the Spanish Steps, while Transport for London (TfL) has reimagined the Tube map in her honour with an exclusive pull-out in Friday’s Evening Standard.
“Her eight performances will bring nearly 700,000 fans from across the country and beyond to Wembley Stadium, providing a huge boost to our hospitality industry”
A Taylor trail (#LDNTaylorsVersion) will celebrate places across the capital that are referenced in her music, with venues displaying new vinyl stickers in their windows to welcome Swifties and share other locations of interest. Plus, Visit London, the official visitor guide to London, has created an online guide for Swifties to make the most of the capital.
“As Taylor prepares for Friday’s opening performance, we are proud to give her and her fans a big London welcome, with celebrations across the capital including a special Tube map, trail and murals in her honour,” adds Khan. “I encourage Swifties to not only enjoy the fantastic shows, but also make the most of everything London has to offer, and hope that even more people are encouraged to enjoy the incredible live music available in our city.”
The £300m estimate was calculated using data from UKInbound’s Tourism Statistics for 2018, and adjusted for inflation. The data showed that, excluding day visits, each domestic and international tourist to the UK generated about £396 to the UK economy in 2018. That figure was then multiplied by 640,000 – the expected audience at Wembley Stadium across the Swift gigs.
Other notable concerts in London this summer include the Foo Fighters and Burna Boy at London Stadium, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, J Hus and Doja Cat at Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park, Kylie, SZA and Stray Kids at BST Hyde Park, and Bruce Springsteen, Green Day and AC/DC at Wembley Stadium.
Swift fans have been reportedly targeted by suspected scammers on Airbnb ahead of the London shows
New polling from Visit London shows that 54% of people said they’d consider travelling to London for a music event in the past year – higher than New York, LA, Paris and other UK cities. In addition, 76% would extend their trip after visiting a music event in the city.
“The tourism impact of the tour is expected to be huge: with flight bookings to London up as much as 34% compared to 2023, and hotel searches four times higher in the week leading up to her second leg in August,” adds Laura Citron OBE, CEO of Visit London. “Music and entertainment continue to be leading motivators for visitors to London.”
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Swift fans have been targeted by suspected scammers on Airbnb ahead of the London shows. New profiles set up on the website advertised nearby properties for rental that appeared to use AI images and multiple people advertising the same room. In some cases, they featured stock images used by estate agents for homes which have not yet been built.
Airbnb says it has “zero tolerance for fake listings”, adding that the properties have been removed.
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SXSW expands to Europe with London edition
South by Southwest (SXSW) is expanding to Europe with the launch of a London edition in June 2025.
The Austin, Texas-hailing, world-leading cultural platform, which celebrates the convergence of creativity, culture and technology, will take over dozens of venues, galleries, clubs and other spaces in Shoreditch, east London, over the course of a week next summer.
SXSW London will expand the footprint of the conference and showcase festival, which has been held in the Texan capital since 1987. An Asia Pacific spin-off, SXSW Sydney, debuted in Australia last October. “These events, each with their own distinct flavour, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community,” says a statement.
“As a life-long fan of SXSW I truly believe that it’s more than an event – it’s a movement, a platform where the world’s greatest minds, musicians and motivators come to share their passion and their vision of the future,” says Randel Bryan, MD of SXSW London.
“SXSW London will build on Austin’s incredible legacy, presenting an event that underpins why SXSW is the go-to destination for professionals and creatives seeking meaningful connections, unexpected experiences and ideas that can help shape the world.
“SXSW London will also provide a platform for the next generation of creative talent and we will be working hard to ensure that opportunities for learning, employment and community uplift are at the heart of everything we do.”
“This is an incredible new opportunity to highlight the elements that make SXSW unique in one of the most vibrant cities in Europe”
More details about the SXSW London 2025 programme will be announced in the coming months, with badges due to go on sale in October 2024.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the SXSW experience to London,” says Jann Baskett, SXSW co-president and chief brand officer. “Following the success of SXSW Sydney, this is an incredible new opportunity to highlight the elements that make SXSW unique in one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. We look forward to forming deeper connections with our overseas community and bringing the conversations that start in Austin all the way to London.”
In addition to keynotes, music showcases, and innovations in tech, gaming and screen, SXSW London will introduce boundary pushing visual arts, design and fashion programming, with exhibitions and interactive and immersive experiences in public spaces across its east London campus.
SXSW London is produced under licence from SXSW LLC by Panarise, a live entertainment company established and owned by private investment firm Panarae. As SXSW’s European edition, SXSW London will have a particular emphasis on creative talent from across Europe and will also continue to develop Austin’s focus on climate action and sustainability.
“I am delighted to welcome SXSW to London for the first time ever – confirming our place at the heart of Europe’s tech and creative sectors and as a global capital of culture,” adds London mayor Sadiq Khan. “When I was part of SXSW in Austin in 2018, I saw first-hand the electric atmosphere of innovation SXSW creates and I can’t wait to be part of it again. This is a historic opportunity for London to once again bring the world’s most exciting talent together as part of our mission to build a better and more prosperous London for everyone.”
SXSW 2024 ran in Austin from 8-16 March, while SXSW Sydney is due to return from 14-20 October.
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MSG reacts after London Sphere plans rejected
Madison Square Garden (MSG) Entertainment’s plans for a Sphere venue in London have today been rejected by the Mayor of London.
The company behind the recently launched $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas, US had hoped to build a 21,500-capacity replica in Stratford, east London, but local residents complained that the venue, which is lit on the outside by millions of LED lights, would affect their quality of life.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is open to investment from around the world and Sadiq wants to see more world-class, ambitious, innovative entertainment venues in our city. But as part of looking at the planning application for the MSG Sphere, the Mayor has seen independent evidence that shows the current proposals would result in an unacceptable negative impact on local residents.”
The project was first announced more than five years ago and was approved in principal by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) in March last year, despite objections from various parties. Further “significant concerns” were raised about the building’s height, bulk, massing and that it is “not a sustainable building due to high energy usage”.
“There are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities. We will concentrate on those”
A spokesperson for MSG tells IQ: “While we are disappointed in London’s decision, there are many forward-thinking cities that are eager to bring this technology to their communities. We will concentrate on those.”
MSG’s futuristic Las Vegas Sphere launched in September to rave reviews with U2’s U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency. The proposed London spin-off, designed by architect Populous, would be covered in LED panels and stand almost 100m (300ft) high and 120m (360ft) wide. Recent reports suggested that developers had offered locals blackout blinds to make up for the glowing images they would be broadcasting via the structure’s external LED panels.
The venue would have been located four miles from AEG Europe’s The O2 (20,000-cap) in North Greenwich. A spokesperson for AEG, which has been a vocal opponent of the scheme and called on levelling up secretary Michael Gove to block the proposal, said it welcomed the decision.
“We welcome the Mayor of London’s decision to direct refusal of the Sphere’s planning application today,” says the firm. “We do not oppose competition in the live entertainment industry, and specifically do not oppose another large music venue in London. However, this proposal had fundamental flaws from the beginning. It was the wrong design, in the wrong location, and this was the right call.”
Today’s rejection comes a month after MSG boss James Dolan insisted the development – along with other potential spinoffs outside North America – was “still very much moving forward”.
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More than 1m flock to London concerts in a week
New figures released by the Mayor’s Office have revealed that more than one million people attended live music events across London last week.
Events held in the capital so far this month have included BST Hyde Park, which hosted sold-out gigs by Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and Lana Del Rey; and two nights with Blur at Wembley Stadium.
Elsewhere, Finsbury Park hosted Wireless Festival and headline dates by Pulp and The 1975; Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kaiser Chiefs and Black Eyed Peas performed at Greenwich Summer Sounds; while acts such as Maroon 5, Hollywood Vampires and Iron Maiden played The O2.
In addition, The Weeknd set a new attendance record for London Stadium after drawing 160,000 fans over two nights.
The array of concerts are said to have brought in more than £320 million (€374m) to the capital in ticket sales and secondary spend including sold-out arena gigs and smaller grassroots venues, according to Music Venue Trust data.
“These figures confirm London’s place as one of the best places on the planet to enjoy live music – across all genres, from a diverse range of artists and at a great mix of venues,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “The truly exciting news is, with the right support, we could be doing even more. Supporting the grassroots venues and events that help develop the next generation of talent and offering even more shows to delight Londoners, tourists and day-trippers alike.”
“London has been abuzz with excitement over the last week”
London mayor Sadiq Khan, who has provided dedicated support to grassroots music venues as part of his Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, as well as funded training for music venues operators on sustainability, says the city has been “abuzz with excitement”.
“London’s music scene is the best in the world with renowned artists playing to thousands across our capital’s fantastic stadiums and venues,” says Khan. “Given everything that happened during the pandemic, it’s genuinely fantastic that over million people were able to see brilliant live music last week.
“Music inspires in a unique way, bringing together people like nothing else can, and plays a vital role in driving forward our economic recovery. From our world-class stadiums to grassroots venues unearthing the next generation of talent, London is the undisputed world leader in live music, and there’s a lot more still to come over this summer.”
Upcoming concerts in the capital include Busted, Bebe Rexha and Blink 182 and the 20th anniversary, of the Somerset House Summer Series, which runs until 16 July.
“Music is the glue that binds London together,” adds Music Venue Trust COO Beverley Whitrick. “It’s fantastic to see so many people celebrating the incredible culture of diverse music that is an essential part of our modern British identity, and to see how artists like Wolf Alice, Dua Lipa, Blur, The 1975, Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Charlie XCX and Coldplay have progressed out of the smallest London venues to headline our biggest arenas and stadiums.”
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Music venues to benefit from London’s £6m campaign
London’s live music venues are set to benefit from a £6 million campaign to boost the capital’s culture, hospitality and retail economies, as the city reopens under the government’s roadmap.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched the campaign yesterday, hours after his re-election for a second term was confirmed.
The initiative, dubbed ‘Let’s Do London’, aims to harnesses the talents of major London arts and culture institutions with the mantra ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’.
Speaking to Time Out, Khan said: “Let’s Do London is the biggest tourism campaign our city has ever seen. The reason it’s so important is that the last 15 months have been incredibly tough for us. But I also recognise not just the intrinsic enjoyment we get from retail, culture and hospitality, but that one in five jobs in London are in those areas. We’ve got to make sure that we bounce back as quickly as possible to avoid mass unemployment, leading to a massive recession.
“Let’s Do London is about bringing all the key players in London together: the Globe, the National Theatre, the Southbank, the V&A, the O2, great chefs, great artists like David Hockney, great live music venues, pubs, bars and restaurants. We want to make sure that this summer is the best summer we’ve ever seen.”
“We’ve got to make sure that we bounce back as quickly as possible to avoid mass unemployment, leading to a recession”
Last year, international tourism to London fell by a reported 90% due to the coronavirus pandemic. Khan says he expects this year will be similar to the last and that it will be vital the capital attracts more visitors from around the UK.
As per the government’s roadmap, British music venues are permitted to reopen with social distancing measures and capacity limits from next week (17 May).
Indoor performances will be restricted to the lower of 1,000 people or 50% capacity, outdoor performances limited to the lower of either 4,000 people or 50% capacity, and seated outdoor performances, to either 10,000 people or 25% of capacity.
According to a recent survey from Music Venue Trust, it is estimated that there will be 91,500 individual live performances during the period, offering over 300,000 work opportunities for musicians as they finally get the chance to return to paid employment.
While UK music fans are eager to return to live music as quickly as possible, according to a survey of 25,000 commissioned by UK trade body LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment).
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Mayor of London announces £2.3m emergency culture fund
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today (30 April) launched a £2.3 million (€2.65m) emergency fund to support cultural and creative industries at risk due to the impact of the coronavirus.
Beneficiaries of the fund include Music Venue Trust, which receives a £450,000 donation towards its #saveourvenues campaign in aid of at-risk grassroots venues, and the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum, which receives £225,000 – as well as £1.5m for Creative Land Trust to support artist workspaces and £150,000 to the British Film Institute (BFI) in aid of independent cinemas.
Grassroots venues have been particularly hard hit by the impact of Covid-19, and the funding for Music Venue Trust (MVT) will support up to 147 independent London venues – benefitting businesses most at risk of falling into administration and unable to benefit from government schemes – according to the mayor.
“The coronavirus outbreak is having a significant impact on every aspect of life in London, and that includes our culture, creative industries and night-time economy,” says Khan. “These industries are so important to the fabric of our city during the day and night, and they will play a key role in helping us to recover from this public health crisis.
“This funding from the mayor of London means that MVT will be able to increase the support on offer to each and every venue”
“I’m pleased to be working together with the Music Venue Trust, the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum, the Creative Land Trust and the BFI to offer this emergency funding to those areas most at need, but we need the government to step forward and provide the comprehensive support this industry needs to protect its future.”
MVT’s Beverley Whitrick adds: “Music Venue Trust works on behalf of grassroots music venues across the whole UK, but the greatest concentration of our members is in London. These venues are some of the most impacted by the current crisis because the costs of running a venue in London are so high.
“This funding from the mayor of London means that MVT will be able to increase the support on offer to each and every venue, dedicating invaluable human resources, specialist advice and financial assistance where other measures come up short – everything possible to sustain these venues so they can reopen in the future and host artists and audiences safely and professionally.”
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Hackney curfew: ‘marginalised communities will suffer most’
Campaigners protesting the controversial new Hackney curfew legislation have spoken about how the policy will potentially affect marginalised communities the most. Speaking at Friday’s protest (27 July), a number of protesters spoke to local media, saying LGBTQ, BME and women-friendly music venues are at the biggest risk of disappearance because of the new nightlife legislation.
Speaking to the Hackney Citizen, protest co-organiser Jo Alloway said: “Hackney is renowned for its diversity and its nightlife – it’s something people specifically come to Hackney for.
“Each venue is a hub of community, whether that’s LGBTQ nightlife, Caribbean nightlife – it’s a safe space where people can enjoy their own culture.”
As Johnny Dillon, another co-organiser of the protest, explains, the fear is that as ‘minority-friendly’ clubs and venues close, new ones won’t be able to open and replace them. Instead, corporate brands and chains will take their place, without thought for the cultural spaces being lost. Talking to NME, Dillon warned against places like Shoreditch turning into Leicester Square.
“We’re seeing pubs and clubs – for the LGBTQ community, and the BME community, and spaces for women – close all the time,” he says. “I think that is really being put at risk by the proposal that Hackney Council have just passed.”
“It’s the council and the licensing committee that have pushed this through.”
“Hackney is one of the few places where those still exist in number. If those spaces are to start to close, new ones aren’t going to open.”
After the news of the Hackney curfew broke, London’s Night Czar Amy Lamé came under fire for appearing not to fight against the plans. Many questioned what the role of Night Czar was for, if not to protest against potentially damaging legislation such as this.
In a statement released shortly after the initial backlash, before the protests took place, she explained her intention to get all parties involved around a table to talk out the problems with the new policies; she has demanded an urgent meeting with the mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville. In the statement, she does not address how the policy may affect the lives of residents from minority backgrounds.
“I’m sure there is a positive way forward,” it reads. “My role is to help get everyone to sit around the table, talking together, to represent the needs of the night-time economy in those conversations, and ultimately to find a solution that works for everyone.
“I’ve used this convening power on a number of different issues…and it really can work.”
Whilst many protesters agree the Night Czar has dropped the ball somewhat in her response to the curfew legislation, Dillon maintains it isn’t solely her that should be held responsible for the decision.
“It’s the council and the licensing committee that have pushed this through.”
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Hackney Council votes to impose midnight curfew on new venues
The London Borough of Hackney’s council has this week unanimously approved controversial licensing policies that impose a weekend midnight curfew on new venues in the area. The decision goes against the council’s own poll of residents, in which some 73% voted against the measures.
New venues that wish to get around the curfew and prolong their hours will need to be able to prove to authorities that doing so will not provoke antisocial behaviour. Critics of the policy have already commented on the difficulty of this task.
Councillor Emma Plouviez, part of the team that drafted the policy, has defended the council’s actions to Resident Advisor. She says: “The onus will be on new applicants to demonstrate they are responsible, understand the pressures on the area and that their business will not have a negative impact on the area if they want to open late.
“We will help and support them to do that.”
The decision goes against the council’s own poll of residents, in which some 73% voted against the measures.
Despite her defence, many media, residents and local venue owners are still unhappy with the decision. In particular, critics are calling out London’s night czar Amy Lamé, who along with Mayor Sadiq Khan, is said to have been discussing the move for the past year. Responding, the NME published a somewhat scathing article on the decline of London’s nightlife during Lamé’s tenure.
Defending her role, the night czar tweeted that licensing decisions were not her responsibility.
Local authorities are responsible for licensing decisions, not the @mayoroflondon or the @nightczar. If you would like more information, here is a link to the Licensing Act 2003 https://t.co/2dg1VOr4x6
— Amy Lamé (@amylame) July 18, 2018
Beyond the midnight curfew, the Special Policy Area (SPA) in Shoreditch, which is already home to well known music venues the Old Blue Last and Village Underground, is set to expand. For many, this means new venues will find it difficult to open in the first place. The news has lead local campaign group We Love Hackney to label the new policies “some of the toughest restrictions on nightlife in Britain” and a “gift to big corporates.”
Since facing criticism, Lamé has announced she has requested an urgent meeting with the council to discuss the way forward for nightlife in the borough.
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MSG reveals high-tech London venue plans
London is to get a striking new large-scale music and entertainment venue courtesy of Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), its first outside the US, IQ can reveal. The venue will be based on the groundbreaking MSG Sphere concept unveiled yesterday in New York and LA.
MSG Sphere – which will debut at the American venue giant’s new 18,000-seat arena in Las Vegas when it breaks ground this June – aims “to make concertgoers part of the experience” through what MSG describes as “game-changing technologies that push the limits of connectivity, acoustics, video and content distribution”.
High-tech innovations include a sound system that individually targets each seat, ensuring everyone hears the same performance, no matter their location, and – most strikingly – ultra-HD video screens that stretch across venue’s walls and ceilings, enveloping attendees in an immersive visual experience. The Vegas venue will also feature high-speed internet at every seat, allowing concertgoers to share their experience on social media and enabling interactive experiences with artists.
While the London venue is still in the early stages of planning, with no concrete details on capacity or design, the company confirms it will be based on the MSG Sphere concept.
MSG Sphere London will be located next to the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, east London, near the site of the 2012 Olympic games.
MSG says Sphere is a natural fit for EDM events
Madison Square Garden Company – which has long been rumoured to have an interest in London, and was believed to be in the running to buy the Olympia before its acquisition by German investors in April – has purchased nearly five acres of land in the area on which to construct the venue, says MSG CEO James Dolan.
“London is one of the world’s greatest cities, and we are delighted to be taking this first step towards making it the location for MSG’s first international venue,” he says.
The project will be overseen by Jayne McGivern, who joined MSG as executive vice-president, development and construction. McGivern’s previous executive roles have included spells as UK managing director of AEG and CEO of leading contractor Multiplex Europe, which built the new Wembley Stadium.
“We believe that a large-scale, next-generation venue will not only become a premier destination, but also drive growth in London’s overall music and entertainment market,” continues Dolan, “benefiting artists and fans and serving as a long-term investment in the future of this incredible city. MSG Sphere will provide a home where like-minded communities can come together to not only interact with the performance, but also with each other.”
“London is one of the world’s greatest cities, and we are delighted to be taking this first step towards making it the location for MSG’s first international venue”
Preliminary analysis by Ernst & Young shows MSG Sphere London will create approximately 3,200 new jobs annually, contribute £2.7bn to the UK economy over the initial 20 years of operations and generate additional revenues of more than £50m every year for local businesses.
McGivern tells IQ that since the closure of Earls Court (20,000-cap.) in 2014, London has been “underserved by big arenas” – a statement backed up by research undertaken by Sound Diplomacy which found London, Europe’s live music capital, has fewer large arenas relative to population size than other major cities, including Paris, Berlin, Madrid and New York.
Plans for a new arena in east London raise the prospect of an escalation of the much-publicised ‘venue war’ between MSG and The O2 operator AEG, although McGivern says MSG is focused on “growing the market” rather than taking market share from other operators. “It’s absolutely an opportunity to grow the market in London,” she explains. “Whenever we see new venues popping up, the market grows with them – just look at the Forum in LA.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says MSG’s confidence in the UK capital is further testament to London’s status as a “music powerhouse”. “From intimate grassroots music venues to spectacular arenas, London’s buzzing live music scene is world renowned,” he comments. “It’s great to welcome another world-class venue to the capital, to confirm London’s position as a music powerhouse and to boost still further our city’s thriving night-time economy.”
Audiences will be immersed in multi-sensory environments that can be “as large as the ocean”
“It’s great news that the world-famous Madison Square Garden Company has chosen London to be home for its first international venue,” adds Britain’s secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, Matt Hancock. “This cements both the capital and UK’s reputation for leading the world in music and the creative industries.
“This groundbreaking arena in east London will not only create jobs, but help us continue to develop incredible artists, music and innovative technology that will give fans an amazing experience.”
In addition to its plans to build in London and Las Vegas, MSG’s venues include its flagship 20,000-cap. Madison Square Garden venue in New York, along with the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, California; the Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston.
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‘This will help London thrive’: Met axes form 696
London’s Metropolitan police is to abolish form 696, the controversial risk-assessment document critics claim discriminates against grime and other predominantly black music, in a move welcomed by mayor Sadiq Khan.
Following a review process, which included consultations with local authorities, venues, the Musicians’ Union, London Promoter Forum and the Institute of Licensing, the Met announced today it is to abolish the form – which it acknowledged was perceived to “disproportionately affect” certain genres of music – in favour of a “new voluntary partnership approach” with venues and promoters in the city.
Form 696, introduced in 2005 in response to a number of shootings at club nights across London, requires potential licensees to list performers’ and promoters’ names, addresses and phone numbers, the style of music to be performed and the event’s target audience. It is the requests for information on genre and audience that are particularly controversial, with critics accusing the police of racial profiling by singling out primarily black musical styles such as grime, garage and bashment.
Ticketmaster’s latest State of Play report, which focuses on grime, revealed more than half the British general public believes the form to be discriminatory.
“It is clear that in recent years the landscape of the night time economy in London has changed, and thankfully we have seen a reduction in serious incidents at promoted music events, particularly those involving firearms,” says Met superintendent Roy Smith. “We have also been working in close partnership with the music industry and others to raise standards of safety in venues and at events.
“We have taken the decision to remove form 696 and instead develop a new voluntary partnership approach for venues and promoters across London. This will provide an excellent opportunity to share information at a local level and work to identify any enhanced risk to ensure the safety of the public.”
“This decision will … ensure the capital is a welcoming place for artists and DJs of all music genres”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan – a notable critic of form 696 – adds: “Developing a night-time economy that works for everyone is a key priority of mine, but it’s also vital that live music events in London take place safely. I called for a review of form 696 earlier this year because of concerns raised by promoters and artists in the capital that this process was unfairly affecting specific communities and music genres. […]
“This decision will help London’s night-time economy thrive, ensure the capital is a welcoming place for artists and DJs of all music genres and that Londoners are able to enjoy live music safely.”
He also praised the work of night czar Amy Lamé in securing the form’s repeal, saying that, “by bringing together the Met and representatives from across the city’s legendary grassroots music industry, we have shown why having a night czar is so important for London”.
“It’s great that mayor of London Sadiq Khan and London’s night czar, Amy Lamé, have listened to the concerns of the music industry”
Industry umbrella group UK Music also welcomed the decision to scrap form 696, with chief executive Michael Dugher commenting: “This is fantastic news. UK Music has campaigned to get rid of this unpopular restriction on our diverse and vibrant music scene.”
“It’s great that mayor of London Sadiq Khan and London’s night czar, Amy Lamé, have listened to the concerns of the music industry.”
“We thank him for showing leadership on this important issue and ensuring that the London remains a world beater when it comes to our cultural music mix.”
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