Coronavirus: Push for major act tours is bubbling away

The entertainment industry is working on plans to resume tours by international artists

Concert promoter Michael Chugg in Adelaide. Picture: James Elsby

A trans-Tasman bubble between Australia and New Zealand could create a COVID-safe market of a scale that would attract major music artists for concert tours.

Live Performance Australia is talking with the federal government about exemptions that would let foreign creative teams enter Australia to work on theatre productions.

Chief executive Evelyn Richardson said future discussions would involve immigration requirements for larger groups for concert tours and festivals.

“We are talking with (government) about the potential opportunity Australia offers for inter­national artists to come and tour, especially once we have the trans-Tasman bubble in place,” she said.

“We see a major opportunity for Australia to provide a touring circuit in a COVID-safe ­environment.”

Veteran concert promoter Michael Chugg said while he would welcome an early return to tour activity, it was unlikely that large-scale concerts would resume until the middle of next year.

“A lot of the international acts have shut down and are not interested in doing anything,” said Chugg, who brought Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road to Australia.

“The comments we are getting back is that no one is seriously looking at anything before the end of 2021, and a lot of acts are saying, ‘We are not going to tour until there’s a vaccine’. ”

Ms Richardson said LPA was advising its members — and they include theatre producers, ven­ues and tour promoters — on how to seek immigration exemptions that would allow foreign artists and creative teams in, ­including the mandatory 14 days in quarantine.

The advice is based on guidelines used by the film industry to apply for exemptions.

Ms Richardson said she expected to begin discussions with the government in coming weeks about music festivals and other large-scale events.

Mr Chugg said if a trans-­Tasman bubble were possible, it was more likely that local bands would be touring and not inter­national artists.

“How many international acts are going to come and spend two weeks in quarantine in New Zealand and two weeks in quarantine in Australia?” he said. “We are hoping that the ­bubble starts so that Australian and New Zealand acts can test the waters.”