Recent weeks have witnessed the return of live events and entertainment in Scotland, and what a warm welcome they’ve had.
Music lovers flocked to enjoy the likes of TRNSMT and Riverside Festival in Glasgow earlier this month, and laughter filled the streets of Edinburgh once more as the Fringe Festival made its first in-person return since 2019.
It’s fantastic to see live events coming back following many dark months of uncertainty for this industry. It’s wonderful not only for Scotland’s music, theatre and comedy fans, but most importantly for the many people who have jobs in this sector and whose livelihood depends on it.
First impressions are that the return of live entertainment has been a success so far.
Over 500,000 music fans descended on Glasgow Green for TRNSMT festival two weeks ago. The weekend was such a hit that presale tickets have already gone on sale for 2022.
For the artists, events, technical and sound production staff it hailed a long-awaited return to work. For a large chunk of attendees, it marked the first time they witnessed live music, danced, or even stood in a busy crowd for 18 months.
It wasn’t quite a return to ‘normal’ as COVID safety measures were of course in place. At TRNSMT, fans were required to take lateral flow tests before attending and hand sanitising stations were dotted around the park.
But these simple measures mean we have at least reached a stage where live entertainment can go ahead and be enjoyed in a safe way.
The same can be said of August’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival with organisers reflecting on a successful event and strong ticket sales for the 2021 event despite operating with reduced capacities and fewer shows.
Audiences were able to access a wide range of amazing Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. This ensured artists could carry out their craft in an environment where audiences felt comfortable.
The return of these types of events is crucial for the Scottish economy, which has taken a huge hit due to months of lockdown.
These large scale events put Scotland on the map – especially iconic ones like the Fringe which historically have been a huge draw for tourists. In pre-Covid times, it would attract visitors from across the globe and is estimated to be worth up to a whopping £1bn a year to the Scottish economy.
This really underpins the importance of live shows to the Scottish economy and the reopening of this sector will play a huge part in post-pandemic economic recovery.
In addition to festivals, live theatre has made a comeback in recent weeks, following changes to coronavirus restrictions.
Stalls have quickly filled in the likes of the Kings Theatre in Glasgow and the Edinburgh Playhouse and actors who have been out of work experienced their first standing ovation since February 2019.
It’s been a long time coming – the past year and a half has been extremely difficult for those who work in the theatre and events sector.
While many other hard hit industries like hospitality and even tourism have been able to navigate a gradual return, the live events industry stagnated and was unviable due to social distancing restrictions.
I’m thrilled that the industry can now operate, however, there will need to be ongoing support from the Government to ensure that it can continue to do so in both a safe and financially viable way.
The UK’s vaccination program is playing a vital part in our return to something that resembles the old normal and I hope we’re on the road to recovery and don’t experience any more long term venue closures in the future.
As we head into the winter months, it’s a crucial time for the entertainment industry, not least because panto season is looming – so the last thing we want to hear is “oh no it’s not”.
Not everyone will be ready to sit in an audience or stand in a crowd just yet – it’s a personal choice on whether you are comfortable. But for those who have enjoyed seeing live entertainment again, I’m delighted they’re able to do so safely.
Job vacancies at record high despite recovery
So many businesses were elated to be able to open their doors again after lockdown restrictions but, for some, that joy was short lived as employment became the next challenge.
So many companies are reporting struggles to recruit.
Regardless of increased salaries and incentives, many businesses are still finding it an uphill struggle to fill vacancies.
The Office for National Statistics revealed the number of workers on payrolls returned to pre-pandemic levels.
But shockingly it said the number of job vacancies across the UK has topped a million for the first time ever on record since the records began in 2001. The hotel and restaurant sector is where the biggest demand lies.
The rate of unemployment dropped again to 4.6 per cent which was in line with analysts’ predictions.
With furlough finishing at the end of this month, it’s thought that one in five bosses are planning to make furloughed staff redundant – although experts fear many workers are unlikely to fill the one million vacancies because the jobs are ‘not for them’.
We are seeing some innovative attempts to turn things around though.
Earlier in the month a Dundee firm, CJ Lang, was offering truckers a £2,000 signing on bonus to work delivering supplies to Scottish Spar shops – an offer that must be tempting for some.
Meanwhile Buzzworks Holdings, a chain of Scottish independent restaurant and bars, recently announced a new incentive called ‘One Good Turn’ which awards a £50 voucher for any of their 13 restaurants if you successfully refer someone to work there.
It’s good to see creative approaches to tackle these challenges and I hope they prove successful.
It Made Me Laugh
Step aside Banksy because a Scottish artist named Fleur has been dubbed ‘Balesy’ by her friends after creating another spectacular piece of artwork.
As well as encouraging a few smiles it’s raising money for Parkinson’s UK – a charity close to her heart. She’s been creating bale art on her farm in Angus since 2014 and this year went with a Disney theme.
Her rationale? The memorable characters convey feelings of happiness, fun, dreams and bringing families together.
I noticed that business-savvy Fleur said it’s getting more and more expensive to do and joked that she is still looking for a sponsor. It’s a clever way to promote herself and potentially a nice opportunity for a local company to help her out and help a great cause at the same time.
It Made Me Weep
It’s more ‘no no no’ than ‘ho ho ho’ as the run up to the festive period looks set to be compromised by supermarket price increases and food shortages.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, has warned that a mixture of Brexit, the ‘Pingdemic’ and truck driver shortages could cause the prices to soar.
It’s the last thing we need as supermarket prices have already risen by 1.3% this month alone. Apparently rises were most significant in savoury snacks, cat food, and cakes and pastries.
Supermarkets may have been absorbing price increases in the short time but it’s only a matter of time before we see these being put onto the consumer unless the labour shortage issue can be fixed.
Here’s hoping it can still be the most wonderful time of the year.
