Investigation reveals Sheffield has missed out on more than £20 million from cancelled gigs at just three venues

Sheffield’s economy will lose more than £20 million as a consequence of gigs being cancelled at three of its leading music venues because of coronavirus, a study has revealed.
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Events that have had to be cancelled because of the pandemic at the 13,600-capacity FlyDSA Arena will cost the local economy £15.2 million, the research found, while Sheffield has missed out on over £3.6 million in income due to concerts being pulled at the City Hall.

Gigs that couldn’t go ahead at the O2 Academy, meanwhile, have caused Sheffield to lose £1.1 million.

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The data published by Eventopedia – an online service that helps event planners find venues – takes into account factors such as ticket prices, maximum audience numbers, the average cost of a pint and the bill for a meal in a restaurant, as well as the price of a parking space for four hours.

A view of a concert audience. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for iHeart Media)A view of a concert audience. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for iHeart Media)
A view of a concert audience. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for iHeart Media)

Concerts by acts including Harry Styles, Stormzy, JLS, Cliff Richard and Little Man Tate have all had to be postponed this year at the arena, City Hall and Academy because of Covid-19, which has triggered an almost complete shutdown of the live music industry.

The study takes into account cancelled events between March 2020 and March 2021. Sheffield’s economy loses £544,019 per cancelled show at the arena, the figures show – the sum amounts to £76,097 for the City Hall and £43,494 for the Academy.

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A spokesman for Sheffield City Trust, which runs the arena and City Hall, said the arts played a key role in improving people’s wellbeing alongside physical activity, and that it had hosted outdoor events as well as helping the Covid-19 response by turning the arena into a testing facility.

FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield.FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield.
FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield.
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“Despite this, we recognise the significant loss of revenues to the wider local economy,” he said. “We are well aware of the positive impact our venues offer Sheffield; allowing other local businesses to plan accordingly for the hundreds of thousands of people who come to the area.

“Our long track record of successfully hosting events at these venues means that we have been working hard to ensure a full calendar of events when our venues are able to reopen. We share the disappointment at lost revenue and look forward to when we can all be back enjoying ourselves at events very soon.”

The trust was awarded £2.2 million in funding last month from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund to keep its venues alive until mass gatherings are permitted again. The money will be used to cut the organisation’s support subsidy from Sheffield Council and to carry on employing a small staff team at its entertainment sites.

Elsewhere in the country, St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton suffered the biggest loss for every pulled event outside of London, with each cancellation costing the local economy up to £2.4 million.

Sheffield City Hall.Sheffield City Hall.
Sheffield City Hall.
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In London, each cancelled event at Wembley Stadium since March is estimated to have cost the city up to £5.9 million.

Toby Heelis, CEO of Eventopedia, said the data highlighted ‘just how much the impact of these events filters down to all areas of the economy and community’, adding: “Moving forwards, common sense and science should be used in equal measure to provide the right solution for everyone.”

Academy Music Group, which operates the Academy in Sheffield, was approached for comment.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.