Disruption and Continuity: Covid-19, Live Music, and Cyclic Sociality

In this chapter I examine some of the innovative responses to the lockdown that emerged in the early months of the pandemic, with a focus on socially-distanced events, the development of the livestreaming and virtual reality (VR) sector, and the growth of illegal raves . I argue that the latter presage a return in fortunes for the outdoor music festival sector once the Covid-19 restrictions on mass gatherings are over, and place my analysis in relation to what I term “cyclic sociality”, an extension of my prior work into the outdoor music festival sector (Anderton 2019). I also discuss the potential for livestreaming to mature into a parallel industry that is complementary to the venue and event-based live music sector.