Large crowds, physical interaction and sweaty dance floors – not the ideal place for the common practice of social distancing. Nightclubs, bars and late-night music venues have been hit arguably the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many will be lucky to see any light at the end of this never-ending tunnel. Entertainment venues were the first to close at the beginning of the pandemic and will be the last to open, but how is COVID-19 really taking a toll on these venues and is there any hope for the future?
Nightclubs and bars ‘temporarily’ closed in March to help curb the spread of the virus and have been closed since. The current measures in place have forced a complete loss of revenue for venues and inevitably led to business scrambling to survive. The closure of these industry venues has led to unsus-
tainably high operational costs and mass job losses, while some venues have permanently closed as a result of the pandemic. Over 31,500 people are employed within the nightlife and ‘wet’ pub (drink only) industry. That’s over 31,500 people unemployed or forced to seek employment elsewhere. While on the other hand the popular Coach nightclub in Banbridge permanently closed in November 2020, stating “The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, together with no foreseeable opening date for the nightclub industry, has left the business in an untenable position.”
Another well-established venue in Cork, The Kino, has also been forced to close permanently. In a statement on their website on February 2nd the venue believes that with the latest government extension of level 5 restrictions “it is not feasible to continue paying rent for the next several months in the hopes of maybe opening for a few weeks.”
The closure of these venues is not only a detriment to the economy and those they employed, but also to the culture and nightlife of those areas. Nightclubs and live-music venues contribute a significant cultural value to the community and economy of Ireland and the world. For so long this industry has been overlooked and shunned by the government, but is it now time for the leaders of this country to step in and help those who only wish to enrich the culture on this island?
There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the industry in the form of the mass vaccination rollout which may offer a return of people to music venues and nightclubs. A ‘vaccination passport’ where customers can prove they have been vaccinated may be an option for some venues, while others may wait until a significant percentage of the population has received the jab and they are legally allowed to reopen.
The industry is in a precarious position as it is almost impossible to prevent attendees from social interaction at events in normal times therefore a return must only be considered when safe to do so. One thing is for sure, the dancefloors will be full when the doors open once more!