This past weekend, more than 70,000 music lovers marched together to protest against the treatment received by the event industry from the Dutch government. Unmute Us is an initiative created by various individuals and organisations that are an integral part of the Dutch music industry. The peaceful protest took place in 6 of The Netherlands major cities: Eindhoven, Groningen, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Amsterdam. The Gigstarter team joined the protest through the streets of Amsterdam.
Visit the UnMute Us website
Why has live music been pushed to the side?
In the Netherlands, many businesses that operate in the live music sector and artists themselves have been left with an unclear vision of how they should move forward. The current rules are as follows: nightclubs and establishments where dancing is permitted will be closed until further notice, indoor events that are not on a seated basis are cancelled until further notice and open air events are allowed with 750 attendees max. The rules will be reviewed on September 16th but there is no guarantee that they will change. The Unmute Us protest called for the government to review these rules and allow events to take place from September 1st with the same Corona guidelines that are in place for sports events.
Unmute Us March in Amsterdam
The peaceful protest in Amsterdam took place through the South and centre of the city. The protest was joined by many characters: party goers, families, famous DJs and people who work in the music industry. Supporters of the initiative marched behind convoy trucks where DJs played different types of music from Deep House, Techno, Hardstyle. Above the crowds, you could see signs that read: ‘Don’t Cancel Culture’, and some more creative ones like ‘Fight for your right to party’ and ‘Last night a DJ saved my life’. As the demonstrators marched the Amsterdam streets, you could feel the energy and passion of those attending and the excitement of the DJs, which for some was the first time they got to play in front of an audience in a very long time.
This policity does not make sense at all!
New Beginnings for the Event Industry
There are around 101,000 people that work in the music industry in The Netherlands. For many, it is coming up to 2 tough years where festivals have been cancelled and musicians haven’t been able to play live infront of an audience. The harsh reality is that events won't be able to go back to the format that they had before Corona. The Unmute Us initiative understands this fact and the protest calls for a fair treatment from the government as, for many, music is their livelihood and an essential part of culture. The Unmute Us initiative calls for live events to be deemed as having the same importance as sports events like football and Formula 1. Over 1500+ organizations signed in favour of the Unmute Us demonstration ranging from small scale festivals, to Ziggo Dome and Lowlands. It poses the questions that in a country, where 85% of the population is vaccinated, how can there not be a plan in place to bring events back into society? Countries like the UK have begun reintroducing festivals and live music into normality, so why can the Netherlands not do the same.
What can YOU do to support artists?
A way you can support those who are being affected by this tough time is to plan your own small corona proof event. Don’t know where to start? Placing a call is the fastest way to book an artist on Gigstarter. You will provide our team with all the details regarding the event, and they will invite suitable artists. Usually, it takes no more than 24 hours for them to get back to you and let you know their availability. Do not hesitate to book and enjoy live music!
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