Sheffield music venues to 'light up red' tonight in industry appeal for government help

The live music industry been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Venues have been closed since the beginning of lockdown and there is no definite date when indoor events and gigs can safely return.

While socially-distanced and outdoor events are allowed, many venues do not have the space to do this, and so professionals across the industry have lost their incomes due to the cancellation of bookings.

This includes technicians, front-of-house staff, venue owners, musicians and promoters, among dozens of other roles that are typically involved in putting on live music.

The Music Venue Trust – a charity which supports grassroots live music spaces – listed a number of venues in Sheffield as ‘at risk’, and as the lockdown persists the owners of these businesses are appealing to the government to support the industry and the people that work within it.

Joe Taylor, who runs Dryad Works in Parkwood Springs, said: “Operating a venue in Sheffield and having the opportunity to work with so many different people and companies within the industry has really made us aware of how vitally important each job role is.

"Our industry works like a well oiled machine and each component is key to its survival and smooth operation. At current we are being forced to hit the emergency stop and our beloved entertainment and events sector is massively under threat.”

Tonight Dryad Works staff will be taking part in the campaign by lighting their venue up in red at 9pm alongside thousands of others nationwide, and they are appealing for other venues to do the same.

Joe added: “We are joining a UK-wide movement to highlight the simple fact that the industry we all love and work in is under threat and we need government help now. This is the UK events industry standing in solidarity and calling out ‘red alert’. We all must act now"