Vacant venues. Rescheduled tour dates. Virtual music events. No one expected this for 2020. Especially not the live entertainment industry.

As festivals and artists across the globe issued statements regarding coronavirus, it became clear to music lovers and industry professionals that the live music entertainment industry had become another victim of the pandemic.

On May 21, 2020, Ampere Analysis released a report that the global entertainment industry is on track to lose $160 billion of growth in the next 5 years due to the pandemic. This loss has already been felt by music and entertainment that rely on festival season and touring to make their earnings. Surely being one of the last to return, the festival industry will have one of the toughest times recovering financially.

Performance Research surveyed 1,000 people and found that 44% of respondents said they plan to attend fewer events once the pandemic is over. This could result in a good chunk of concert goers strictly consuming online live entertainment until a vaccine is discovered.

Music festivals and music venues alike, rely exclusively on the mass gatherings of crowds for live entertainment and count on selling out shows with packed crowds. That is nowhere near a possibility right now, and many in the business are wondering if it will ever be. One thing is certain: this pandemic will affect how live music entertainment operates for years to come. The live music experience will never be the same-- for anyone.

“Everything is gonna change. I don’t see a real return of festivals until 2021,” says Eli Roberson, a box office manager for Good Vibes Presents.

Festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and Coachella have chosen to postpone with later dates in October 2020. This has resulted in new logistical issues and massive rescheduling overlaps for events across the industry. Some festivals like Ultra Miami have officially canceled and plan to hold their annual events next year.

This has left attendees uncertain and anxious. They do not know if these events will actually take place on their newly scheduled dates or postponed indefinitely. Many have chosen to keep their tickets for the later dates while others are requesting refunds and canceling flights.

“Boutique and smaller festival brands may not survive this which is incredibly sad,” says Ade Ramos, a festival content creator and the main personality of Vibe with Ade.

Ade is an electronic dance music influencer who creates festival content and partners with brands to promote their events or products. She has a blog and is the host of her own podcast “Let’s Vibe.”

“We'll definitely see the long-term effects for the people that work behind the scenes as well as for smaller artists who relied on the exposure and multiple bookings to make their dreams come true,” she says.

When it became apparent that there would be no live music events for possibly the rest of the year, artists across the internet decided to take matters into their own hands. Calvin Harris and Zed’s Dead are just a couple of artists who have taken this opportunity to do live streams for fans at home in an effort to keep spirits up in such devastating times.

Insomniac Events has taken advantage of this opportunity to produce their own virtual Rave-A-Thon series in place of canceled events. Founder Pasquel Rotella hosted the first-ever virtual Electric Daisy Carnival. Insomniac also partnered with Rave Recovery, a relief fund created for dance music fans impacted by COVID-19, to remind the electronic music community that even though there is a distance between everyone, they remain connected through music.

Live streams and digital festivals have been a great medium for connecting artists to their community like never before. The ease of accessibility and equality of viewing has in a way democratized the music experience, but live streams are only a band-aid for the major wound that will affect the electronic dance music industry for the next few years.

Surprisingly enough, it looks like live streams may have a pretty prominent space in the music industry going forward. When lockdowns first began Twitch, a video sharing platform, saw a 524% increase in viewership specifically in their Music and Performance Art categories.

Although virtual shows cannot replace the interaction and connectivity that takes place at these in-person events. The sense of community and passion that is shared by humans on the dancefloor is no easy feat to replicate.

“It has taken away my whole life,” says Nicole Marie, an Artist Relations and Production Head for Nocturnal Waves. She is one of the many people who do not know when and if they will be able to return to the job they love. Not only is Marie a part of the workforce, but she is an electronic music enthusiast herself.

Nocturnal waves is an event management, talent buying, and electronic dance music company based in Texas. They organize dubstep underground events like GRIMEFEST, but those dearly

loved shows and festivals have come to halt. Not only are music lovers deprived of their bread and butter, but crew members are out of work for the foreseeable future.

The ramifications of COVID are already hitting Austin, Texas hard and fast. Austin Eater has reported that PLUSH, Scratch House, and Barracuda, have all been forced to close their doors permanently. These quintessential venues were influential icons of the Austin electronic dance music scene. These shutdowns will disproportionately impact artists trying to get their name out, as many of them rely on smaller venues to book gigs.

“There are just going to have to be fewer festivals and shows. We have already seen the closing of 3 major clubs right here,” says Aaron Owens, Marketing Manager for Heard Presents a full-service event production, marketing, and venue management company in Austin, Texas. They manage venues such as Empire on 7th street and The Parish. Owens has already seen a decrease in campaigns and shows having to be rescheduled constantly.

Sara Landry, Froot, and Lone Lee are just a few of the many artists who got their start by playing at unique and classic Austin venues. Vulcan Gas Company, Antone’s Night Club, and Stubb’s are some of these venues that have given musicians the chance to share their art and connect with an audience. Owners of venues like these are now asking their city for that same help in times of crisis.

“Leaders of some Austin music venues are worried they could be next unless the city steps in,” reported by KUT. The Red River Cultural District is asking City Council to consider a policy proposal to provide funding for immediate and long-term help for music venues. This proposal includes asking the City to buy $35 million worth of venue properties to offset the costs of rent and losses their businesses will face.

“When there isn’t a crisis going on, putting up a festival is already an often financially precarious endeavor. Of course, some organizers will find ways to adapt and work around it.” said Aisha Harris, in an article for the New York Times. With plenty of time on their hands, industry leaders are already beginning to think about what music events might look like when they are able to take place again.

“It’s going to change from this point forward,” says Misty Morales, Co-Owner of That's How it Starts Management.

“The way we enter and experience music and festivals will look completely different. From temperature checks to water stations, we are going to have to be as contactless as possible.” she says. Asking attendees to wear masks and practice social distancing does not sound ideal, but it may very well be a part of the proposed solutions to get fans and artists back to their happy place.

“I think digital art experiences may merge more with the current festival industry practices which is something to look out for,” says Chris Clark. He is a freelance lighting and visual technician who sees a future where real life interactions and digital forces may unite to usher in a new era of music festivals.

Electronic music enthusiasts like Jorge Ramirez are choosing to remain positive for what the future holds. Ramirez is a student member of the Texas electronic music club at the University of Texas and has been enjoying virtual shows, but is ready to get back out on the dance floor.

“I’m excited to see more DJ’s and producers tapping into their creativity during this time. I hope a lot of them are taking this time to create new music”, he says. Many electronic music artists have been doing just that.

Psilocyben is a local Austin DJ who has been preparing for his first live stream. “I haven’t performed in almost four months, so I have lots of music to share,” he says.

The music festival and live entertainment industry will be among some of the last to return when this pandemic comes to an end. The financial and cultural ramifications are going to hurt in ways unimaginable, but it is no match for a determined community of music lovers and passionate industry members.

Although this return may be far away, it is certain that the creativity and humanity that connects people through music will be strong enough to keep this industry alive.