Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the encouragement to practice social-distancing, there have been many cancellations and closures within the arts world over the past few weeks. Museums, theaters and concerts are considered dangerous as they usually involve hundreds of people close together.
Many industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus, one being the entertainment industry, which is mainly sustained by ticket sales. In addition, multiple performances were either postponed or canceled due to the virus. Coachella, a music festival that attracts around 500,000 people each year, has been postponed until Oct.
Theater districts have also faced unprecedented closures. New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the closure of Broadway March 12, tentatively until April 12. This includes famous theaters such as The Majestic Theater, which has been showing Phantom of the Opera since 1988.
According to Vanity Fair, a Broadway insider said “What a mess” when referring to this closure, considering the fact that many Broadway shows tend to open in March and April, which is just before the Tony Awards in June.
In response, Broadway producers have promised to pay actors, stagehands and other theater workers during the first few weeks of the industry’s closure, as well as their health insurance for at least a month, according to the New York Times.
Also, many theaters have closed in the U.K. on the West End, including the Royal Albert Hall. These closures came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “What we’re doing is giving very strong advice that public venues such as theaters should no longer be visited,” according to Forbes.
The museum industry is also suffering due to COVID-19. Many of London’s biggest museums closed during the week of March 16, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate and the Imperial War Museum.
