ABSTRACT
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that a novel coronavirus originating in the city of Wuhan in China had achieved pandemic status. This led many countries to impose a ban on mass gatherings as part of national and local “lockdowns” and travel bands that effectively shuttered the live music industry around the world, with concerts, tours, and festivals postponed into 2021 and beyond. This chapter examines some of the innovative responses to the lockdown that emerged in the early months of the pandemic, with a focus on socially distanced events, the development of the livestreaming and virtual reality (VR) sectors, and the growth of illegal raves. It is argued that the latter presage a return in fortunes for the outdoor music festival sector once the coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings are over. The potential for livestreaming to mature into a parallel industry complementary to the traditional venue and event-based live music sector is also discussed.
