Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to support the live music industry to enable it to have a viable future when festivals and venues reopen.

We are making an unprecedented investment of £1.57 billion in the UK’s cultural sector through the Culture Recovery Fund. To date over £500 million of the Fund has been announced to organisations across England, a fifth of which has gone to the music sector. These funds will provide valuable support for live music venues and festivals to continue operating and stage activity.

We have held back £258 million from the Culture Recovery Fund to enable us to respond to the emerging public health picture, and provide additional support to the sector when needed throughout the rest of the financial year.

From 2 December, in Tier 1 and 2 areas, socially distanced indoor audiences are permitted provided capacity in a venue is maintained at maximum 50% capacity or 1000 people, whichever is lower. Outdoor events can take place in line with Covid secure guidance with a capacity limit of the lower of 50% or 4000 in Tier 1 and 50% or 2000 in Tier 2.

DCMS has established a Venues Steering Group and a sector-led sub-group on Outdoor Events and Festivals looking at how music venues and festivals can reopen safely. We are committed to continue working with music venues and festivals to understand the challenges they face and to enable events to take place in line with the latest regulations and guidance.