40 per cent of fans not showing up to UK gigs due to COVID: “It’s decimating the whole industry”

nme.com:

COVID cases, experts say.Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new restrictions for the country due to a rise in cases of the Omicron variant, in measures dubbed ‘Plan B’.Speaking to The Observer, a number of industry experts have discussed how huge numbers of ticket-holders to events, including gigs that have been sold out for months, are now deciding against attending.Artist manager Graeme Stewart said that while “around 5 per cent” of fans would not show up for events they had tickets for in normal situations, “you’re getting as much as 40 per cent no-shows for some gigs now”.“It’s an enormous problem,” he added. “And it’s happening for anything that’s ticketed.”“It’s a big issue and it’s having a real knock-on effect,”.