Certain cultural institutions, for example Glastonbury, which would have celebrated its 50th year in 2020, are worth preserving. The global pandemic COVID-19 has hit every industry different albeit overall badly, though some have been hit harder than others.
Glastonbury founders Emily and Michael Eavis want to be able to throw their annual event this coming year, but insurance is holding them back. NME writes, “Eavis and her father Michael have said it’s “already getting tight” to prepare for next year’s event because insurers are still cautious about offering cancellation cover – potentially putting millions of pounds in revenue at stake, which the organisers say they cannot afford to lose.”
To that effect, they have appealed to their government for “direct financial support.”
“If the government can share the risk by offering direct financial support, then it gives everyone the opportunity to move forward with the planning in the hope that things will be safe to run in the summer, and in the knowledge that backing is available if we’re simply not in a position to go ahead,” Emily said.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “We know these are challenging times for the live events sector and are working flat out to support it. We have invested £1bn so far through the culture recovery fund to protect tens of thousands of creative jobs… with £400m more support still to come.”
Eavis added: “We’re doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare, but there are still just so many unknowns and factors which are completely out of our control.
“What we definitely can’t afford to risk is getting too far into the process of next year, only for it to be snatched away from us again. We lost millions this year, and we can’t risk that happening again.”
The event’s lawyer Ben Challis said recently that plans are moving ahead for the festival’s 50th anniversary event to be staged in June 2021, but that’s contingent on many factors aligning.
