Aussies Have Lost Over $25 Million In Income Because The Coronavirus Cancelled So Many Gigs

Aussies working in the live music industry say they’ve lost over $25 million in income because the coronavirus pandemic has cancelled so many gigs.

The cancellations affected the livelihoods over 80,000 Aussies, many of whom were independent contractors, freelancers or artists. The stats were gathered by the campaign I Lost My Gig, launched by 20 music industry groups from around the country.

“From performers to production companies, video production to event catering contracts – the cancellations are impacting anyone and everyone and the ramifications are dire,” the campaign said in a statement.

“The creative industries are coordinating on this issue and we’re working directly with industry bodies to make sure state and federal governments are across these impacts.”

Already this year, Download Festival and Ability Festival have been axed. Hobart’s Dark Mofo and Vivid Sydney, both of which have large live music lineups, have also been called off due to coronavirus fears.

In recent days, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Grand Prix were both cancelled, leaving many more out of work.

One event which wasn’t cancelled was the Golden Plains festival. Afterwards, an attendee was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus but was deemed non-contagious at the time of the event.

Around Australia, over 10,000 events are believed to have been cancelled in total, ranging from small gigs to entire festivals.

The campaign is also including event cancelled due to the recent bushfire season from hell, such as the Lost Paradise festival.

In order to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Australia, the government has banned public events larger than 500 people, meaning all major gigs will be called off until further notice.

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