The Government of the Netherlands has announced the further relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions for live events, venues and nightclubs. From February 18, all locations will be able to stay open until 1am, up from the current 10pm curfew. However, until February 25, coronavirus entry passes must be shown at businesses such as cinemas, theatres, music …
New Zealand Government extends events insurance scheme
New Zealand’s Events Transition Support Payment (ETSP) scheme will be extended until January 31, 2023 and will also be expanded to include business events. The scheme was originally introduced at the end of last year to help large events recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and run during the summer, but the arrival of the Omicron …
AIF calls for Government-backed support to deal with mounting costs and shortages
Association of Independent Festivals chief executive Paul Reed (pictured) has warned of the “perfect storm” of ending VAT relief, Brexit, the supply chain crisis and worker shortages for UK festival organisers this summer. Reed has said that while the widespread return of large events this summer is a welcome sight, it will not be a …
Scotland’s culture and major events sector to receive financial aid worth £65m
Scottish Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has confirmed the culture and major events sector will be supported through a £65m (€77.6m/$87.7m) financial package, amid current COVID-19 restrictions in Scotland. The events sector is set to receive £19.8m while cultural businesses, organisations, venues and grassroots venues, along with independent cinemas, will be given £31.5m. National performing companies that …
Chancellor announces £1bn support package for COVID-hit businesses
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new support package worth £1bn (€1.2bn/$1.3bn) to help businesses impacted by the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. Companies across the hospitality and leisure sectors have been hit by a decline in footfall in recent weeks due to consumers’ concerns about the variant, while many have also reported widespread …
Wales moves sports events behind closed doors to combat Omicron spread
The Welsh Government has announced that all sporting events in the country will be moved behind closed doors from December 26 in an effort to slow the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. The new rules will apply to all indoor, outdoor, professional and community sports events, meaning fans will not be able to attend …
English venues face £10,000 fines for COVID check breaches
Venues in England face fines of up to £10,000 for failing to enforce mandatory NHS Covid Pass checks under new guidelines that come into effect on Wednesday. Indoor events with 500 or more attendees, outdoor events with 4,000 or more attendees and all events with 10,000 or more attendees are all required to check the …
NTIA chief welcomes UK Government’s announcement, with no impact on venues
England has today reintroduced mandatory face coverings on public transport and in shops due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the new Omicron variant, however no further restrictions have been placed on cultural venues, hospitality and night clubs to the relief of the chief executive of Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). While Prime Minister Boris …
Indian state introduces Government-regulated cinema ticketing
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly in India has passed a bill to regulate cinema ticketing, which will be administered by the state Government. Andhra Paresh is a south-eastern state in India, with a population of around 50 million people. The state Government has introduced the AP Cinemas (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2021, to regulate cinema pricing and …
No venue extension to Scotland’s COVID-19 vaccine passport scheme
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the country’s COVID-19 vaccine passport scheme will not be extended to more venues. It had been reported that the First Minister was considering expanding the system to cover other hospitality venues, cinemas and theatres. However, while there will not be an expansion of the vaccine passport scheme, Scottish …