What will happen to musical tours and festivals in 2021?

Musicians and fans alike are gearing up for festivals and tours to make a comeback in 2021.

Limits on the number of people who can gather in one place and social distancing, along with travel rules, meant music festivals and tours had to be canceled in 2020 or be held online.

But, with vaccines already given and people used to following rules to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, what does that mean for music events this year?

More concerts online

BBC music expert journalist Mark Savage expects there will be more concerts online in 2021 due to their success in 2020 and because they can reach fans who do not live near the big cities where concerts usually take place.

Outdoor festivals and concerts

In 2020, big festivals like Glastonbury had to go live and become virtual festivals instead. Last year Sam Fender played the UK’s first social distancing gig and it’s a way for outdoor gigs to come back while keeping people safe.

But in 2021, Mark says: “By the summer, we hope festivals like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds that take place outdoors, where the risk of coronavirus transmission is lower, can resume.”

Reading and Leeds Festival are definitely optimistic about their ability to move forward and have already announced their headliners for 2021.

Indoor concerts

Until large groups of people can come together indoors, it will be difficult for concerts to resume. Even when they do, Mark Savage says “there will be changes to make sure concerts are safe for everyone who attends. You may be asked to go in small groups or socially while you are in. the venue. There may even be a way to check if people have received the coronavirus vaccine before they are allowed to purchase a ticket. “

A number of companies are investigating how they can make indoor events like these safer using methods such as social distancing, staggered entry times, and contact tracing after the event is over.