Earlier this month the next stage of lockdown restrictions easing was pushed back until mid-July, leaving the live music and theatre industries in the dark once again with more event cancellations. The live music sector alone is expected to lose around £36 million due to the delay, but now the live music and theatre industries have joined forces to take legal action against the UK government.

The legal proceedings, according to IQ Magazine, have commenced, with both industries demanding the publication of the government's results from their recent Events Research Programme, which included the 2021 BRITs, the recent Download Pilot festival and more.

Both sides have launched legal action against the government following the cancellation of festivals including Kendal Calling and Truck Festival, both of which mentioned the lack of data from the ERP as a reason for cancelling this year's events.

The parties, as IQ Magazine reports, have said in legal proceedings that the government has "flagrantly breached the ‘duty of candour’ which requires it to be transparent when faced with a legal challenge and that none of the reasons given for withholding the Events Research Programme material they seek withstand scrutiny."

Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd said in a statement, "Last week we called upon the government to release the results of the Events Research Programme. Without the data and evidence from this programme, it is not possible to plan safe events that respond to the latest government position of creating Covid secure venues and gigs. The government has declined to release that information, has not provided a justifiable reason for the refusal to release, and cannot, therefore, engage with the sector to work on risk mitigations that might be required based on the contents of the report."

Davyd added, "This legal action is the inevitable outcome of the government's refusal to work with the sector to create evidence-based secure events, and we therefore reluctantly agree with the necessity to pursue it. The ball is firmly in the government's court; it is their refusal to work with the cultural sector that has resulted in this action."

Mark Davyd CEO of MVT said: pic.twitter.com/36lLH2ADx0

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) June 24, 2021