#UK Theatres and music venues to reopen August 1st

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A view of the Appolo and Lyrics Theatres in London West End
Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock

England prepares to raise the curtain on theaters, music venues

The United Kingdom announced Friday that all indoor performance spaces, including theatres and music venues, can start performances on August 1 providing they follow new social distancing rules.

According to Variety, the news was announced by Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden via Twitter. 

“The U.K.’s performing arts sector is renowned across the world and I am pleased that we are making real progress in getting its doors reopened to the public with social distancing,” Dowden said in a statement.

“From August indoor theaters, music venues and performance spaces will safely welcome audiences back across the country,” he said.

“Delighted indoor performances can resume from 1 August! Socially distanced audiences for now but we hope to build towards full audiences very soon,” tweeted Julian Bird, CEO of the Society of London Theatre.

To stay open, venues must:

• Reduce venue capacity and limit ticket sales to ensure social distancing can be maintained
• Sell tickets online instead of at box offices, and encourage the use of e-tickets to reduce contact and help with potential contact tracing efforts.
• Have clearly communicated social distancing marking in place in areas where lines form and adopt a limited entry approach.
• Increase deep cleaning of auditoriums.
• Schedule performances to allow sufficient time to undertake deep cleaning before the next audience arrives.
• Encourage performers, conductors and musicians to observe social distancing wherever possible.

The news was met with applause from many in England’s entertainment industry, though others advised caution.

“Alongside the support package and performing arts guidance announced last week, this is a step in the right direction, but for most theaters it will not be economically viable to reopen with 30-40% audience required under social distancing,” says the Director of Theatres Trust, Jon Morgan.

“We now need to progress as quickly as possible to an announcement on the all-important Stage 5, allowing theaters to reopen fully with the appropriate safety measures. Without this most theaters cannot reopen viably.”