Back to Live - Music Can Carry Everybody Through

Following three insightful days at the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) the underlying message was, “we must get back to live as soon as possible”.

Live music and a coming together of people have been part of human behaviour for centuries. A guitar, a campfire and a good old singalong is something that almost any human would enjoy, add in some drums and a great beat and most people would be at the very least tapping their feet. Music is in us all. It is part of our human experience and brings people together in good times and in bad.

It has been said many times during the pandemic that live music venues were the first to close and will be the last to open up again. But it was clear at the ILMC that not only is the industry desperate to get going, there is also a huge pent up demand among the general public for live events.  Not only are there all the postponed events being rescheduled – cancelled concerts from 2020 and the first part of 2021 - but there is a huge vault of new music which has been created during lockdown. Add to that all the new artists who are now ready to step out into the spotlight and we have the potential for a very exciting few years ahead. Welcome to the roaring twenties!

We are very much looking forward to playing a part in the next decade of live music in the UK. Our plans for YTL Arena Bristol are progressing well and we certainly hope to become a venue that not only Bristol, but the whole of the South West can be proud of.

We are working really hard to ensure that we lead the way in building a sustainable, net zero carbon operation, with solar panels, battery storage and rainwater harvesting. Sustainability was a strong theme running throughout the ILMC and the industry is certainly sitting up and paying attention.

When it comes to music, the UK is the most important in the world, but it tends to be London-centric. We are determined to change that.

By learning lessons from the pandemic we will build in solutions to ensure that our business is not only environmentally sustainable, but also has a positive impact on the local community - either by forming strong partnerships and doing business with local suppliers, aligning ourselves with like-minded people, or by ensuring that our community programme supports local organisations.

We believe in the power of music. We believe that the industry will emerge better and stronger, it will help people heal and enable other businesses to rebuild. The live music and entertainment industry can help carry the day economically and YTL Arena Bristol will be among the first of the next generation arenas.

We’re putting our money where our mouth is and investing in the arena and in the future of the city.  We have all missed music, but it’s coming back and we at YTL Arena Bristol are committed to making sure it does.

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