Lollapalooza co-founder says we shouldn’t expect live music until 2022

Just like so many other festivals and gigs this year, Lollapalooza 2020 was canceled due to coronavirus. Following the sudden halt of live music, the industry is trying to predict when live events will resume back to normal.

Although most reports predict that large-scale live events could return in the latter part of 2021, Lollapalooza co-founder Marc Geiger thinks otherwise.

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Starting July 11, the U.K. began trialing socially-distant outdoor live events. Despite the progression other countries are making to bring back live music, the United States is still far behind. As cases continue to spike and states start to roll back their lockdown phasing plans, it could be a long time until concerts resume again.

Various industry reports over the past few months predict that large scale live events may return in the latter part of 2021. Live Nation‘s CEO Michael Rapino even went on record stating that large events could return next year.

“And in the fourth quarter we’ll have ticket sales in some large scale for next year,” he says. “We’re already seeing the NFL schedule announced today and most teams are going on sale with their tickets. So that will help drive some of our ticketing and sponsorship businesses.”

Despite these predictions, however, the recent spike in cases makes it clear that the future amid the pandemic is rather uncertain. Due to this, Lollapalooza’s co-founder says that concertgoers shouldn’t expect live music until 2022.

“In my humble opinion, it’s going to be 2022,” Geiger says. “It’s going to take that long before, what I call, the germaphobic economy is slowly killed off and replaced by the claustrophobia economy. That’s when people want to get out and go out to dinner and have their lives, go to festivals and shows.”

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Geiger further states that as long as coronavirus is present without a vaccine, it will be difficult for events to begin again.

“It’s my instinct, that’s going to take a while because super-spreader events – sports, shows, festivals…aren’t going to do too well when the virus is this present,” he says. “The next six months may be more painful than the last six months, and maybe the next six months after that are even more so.”

All of this could mean that rescheduled 2021 events such as Coachella, Sad Summer Festival, Bonnaroo, Riot Fest and more may be postponed again until 2022.

Geiger’s prediction comes as the United States surpasses over 3.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases. Various states are beginning to roll back lockdown phasing and are now requiring citizens to wear face coverings when in public.

Do you think we’ll see live gigs in the U.S. in 2021? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.