XXXXXX XXXXBOOSTS XXXX XXXX FKP SCORPIO UK TEAM
Lou Champion, Julie Morgan, Rebecca Nichols, Sam Laurence
EUROPEAN FESTIVAL SEASON DECIMATED BY TOUGH RESTRICTIONS
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ans in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland may be facing another festival-free summer due to strict government restrictions. Denmark’s festival season was wiped out for the second consecutive year when the government announced that between 21 May and 1 August 2021, festivals will be restricted to a maximum of 2,000 participants, with sections of 200 people. The announcement came on 3 May and was followed shortly by a raft of festival cancellations including major festivals such as Roskilde, Smukfest, Northside, Tinderbox, Beautiful Party, Jelling Festival, Copenhell and Heartland. After 1 August, the capacity limit will be raised to 5,000, with sections of up to 500 attendees. Events with 10,000 attendees will not take place until it is “assessed as sound from a health point of view.” A few days after Denmark’s announcement, the Norwegian government followed suit, publishing preliminary guidelines that would re-
strict festivals to 2,000 attendees until June, 5,000 attendees until August, and 10,000 thereafter. Major Norwegian festivals including Live Nation-owned Bergenfest and Tons of Rock, and Superstruct-backed Øya Festival, alongside Over Oslo, Picnic in the Park, Stavernfetsivalen, Seljord Festival and Country Festival, have all been called off. The Swedish government has also hammered the final nail in the coffin of the country’s 2021 festival summer by ruling out major events until at least September. The country’s roadmap, proposed by the Swedish Public Health Agency and commissioned by the government, suggests that from 1 June (stage three) outdoor events can take place with 500 seated and socially distanced attendees or with 100 standing. Indoor events can take place with either 50 seated and socially distanced attendees or just eight standing. Dates for the next two levels have not yet been given, but the Public Health Agency believes that stage two will come into effect later
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Analysis
he UK operation of leading European promoter FKP Scorpio has made three new hires to its London-based team. Former head of marketing and PR at SJM Concerts, Julie Morgan, has been appointed a head of marketing for UK & European touring; Lou Champion, who was most recently at Live Nation, joins as head of ticketing; and Rebecca Nichols joins the team as head of live co-ordination, following on from over a decade working as an agent at CAA. The company has also partnered with London-based promoter Sam Laurence, whose dollop brand has worked with the likes of Jamie xx, Joji, Kelela, M Huncho, Moderat, 100 Gecs, Greentea Peng, Dorian Electra, Berwyn, Erika de Casier, Koreless and Smerz amongst other clients. The FKP Scorpio UK office was launched late last year with Daniel Ealam and Scott O’Neill heading up the concerts team and co-MDs Barry Campbell and James Cassidy overseeing special projects. Scorpio founder and CEO Folkert Koopmans, says, “I am really happy that we can welcome Julie, Lou and Rebecca to our FKP Scorpio family, and also our partnership with Sam. We all share the same values and have the same vision for FKP Scorpio UK.”
in June or July, which is when outdoor events can take place with 3,000 seated and socially distanced attendees. The majority of capacity limits will likely be scrapped in early September, which will mark stage one of the roadmap. Marquee Swedish festivals including Way Out West, Sweden Rock, Lollapalooza Stockholm and Statement Festival have been cancelled among others. While the fate of festivals in Denmark, Norway and Sweden has been sealed, the Swiss live industry is still awaiting a clear perspective on the country’s festival summer. From 31 May, indoor public events will be limited to 100 people instead of 50, while outdoor events will be capped at 300 people instead of 100. Social distancing restrictions will apply to all public events. However, restrictions after that point have not yet been solidified. The government had previously said that from the end of May, the Swiss cantons should be able to approve largescale events with up to 3,000 visitors (subject to restrictions), provided they are held after 1 July 2021 – in line with the country’s ‘protective umbrella’ insurance scheme. The federal council also suggested that, from 1 September, the upper capacity limit would be increased to 10,000 people. The live industry is lobbying for an amendment to the restrictions. Magazine
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