The COVID-19 crisis’ dire implications on U.K. festivals has already been established, and now a similar survey speaks to the pandemic’s impacts on nightlife. Conducted by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), it suggests that less than half of the country’s bars and clubs will survive without outside help if social distancing measures are implemented.
According to Resident Advisor, 200 bars, clubs and music venues participated in the survey. It found that the businesses expect to operate at 40-43% once restrictions have been loosened, and that new guidelines will render 63.8% of their business models unviable without financial assistance. They expect only 55% of the hospitality workforce to return.
The U.K. is tentatively set to allow bars, clubs and other establishments to open with social distancing guidelines in place on July 4th. Similar reopening strategies are being implemented in other countries. As of this writing, Italy plans to allow indoor gatherings of 200 and outdoor events of up to 1,000 on June 14th, and a handful of German clubs have already reopened as beer gardens. Meanwhile, lockdowns have resumed in South Korea and China after reopening led to a resurgence in confirmed cases.
Read the findings of the survey in full on the NTIA website.
Image credit: Alexander Popov
