Thousands of entertainment jobs to lose

Australia’s live entertainment industry will lose two-thirds of all jobs – around 79,000 full-time equivalent positions – by the end of 2020, according to an EY report.

Industry leaders have urged the federal government to take urgent action, including an extension of JobKeeper beyond March next year and a GST hiatus on tickets, to stem losses from income due to pandemic concert and event closures.

Preliminary findings from the report on the economic cost of COVID-19 on the Australian live entertainment industry, which will be presented at the summit of the 2020 event on Wednesday, confirm grim predictions for the future sustainability of the sector.

Only 43,000 full-time equivalent jobs will remain out of the 122,000 positions held last year in live entertainment by the end of 2020.

EY estimates that the sector’s contribution to the Australian economy will decline by almost two-thirds to $ 12.8 billion, from $ 36.4 billion in 2019.

Live Entertainment Industry Forum chairman James Sutherland said the job prospects for event workers were “really bleak.”

“JobKeeper has provided a lifeline for our industry, but the prospect of its demise in March 2021 – when the industry is likely to remain overwhelmingly inhibited by major pandemic-related restrictions is a serious concern for all operators in the sector, ”he said.

“For our industry to operate profitably, we need sites operating at full capacity, unrestricted interstate movement, and open international borders without extensive quarantine. Without these necessary conditions, the outlook is truly bleak.

“Given the long road to recovery and the nature of the enduring restrictions, we believe that an industry extension to JobKeeper is a fair and important next step.”

TEG Chairman Geoff Jones, who was one of the organizers of the Fire Fight Australian Bushfire performance in February, said a GST moratorium on ticket sales was “simple and targeted action” to help promoters to offset the increased costs associated with the organization of COVIDSafe concerts.

“The EY report shows that when our industry is doing badly Australia loses. Almost all of our revenue vanished overnight when COVID-19 restrictions shut down the industry in March and while the return of sport with limited capabilities made up for some of this impact in EY numbers, for live entertainment commercial operators large and small, revenues in September / October do not exceed ten percent of 2019, ”he said.

Jones said Australians had ‘cabin fever’ and needed something to look forward to ‘after a terrible 2020’, with fans keeping 80% of tickets for postponed shows.

Demand for Delta Goodrem’s tour in April next year increased during COVID-19, thanks to his weekly livestreams to keep fans engaged and Guy Sebastian decided to test the waters with tickets for his TRUTH nationwide tour in November of next year on sale Friday. .

“Access to live entertainment is part of what makes the Australian lifestyle so special, which is why our industry needs and deserves temporary assistance to ensure its survival,” he said.

LEIF also wants the government to secure a live entertainment disruption fund, as promoters cannot obtain insurance for shows blocked by COVID.

It would take inspiration from the $ 50 million Screen Australia fund that allowed film and television productions to get back to work.

“We are a very self-sufficient industry, but we need the support of the government with regard to the losses suffered due to the disruptions caused by the imposition of restrictions related to COVID,” said Roger Field, president of Live Nation Asia- Pacific.

“This little safety net would allow us to start investing again in our events and communities as we return safely and responsibly.”

Originally published as Thousands of entertainment jobs to lose