Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
NIGHTCLUB OWNERS AND those working in the industry are preparing to reopen tonight for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Following meetings with industry representatives yesterday, the government confirmed nightclubs could operate at 100% capacity and that a standing capacity of 1,500 would be permitted for live music events. The full guidelines were released just after 6pm this evening.
Ordering drinks at a bar will now also be allowed, but people will have to return to their seats with their drink.
For musicians and entertainers, the anomalies between the guidelines for nightclubs and those for other venues such as bars or hotel function rooms, have created confusion about the type of work they can do.
Dancing is allowed in venues that have a stage and dancefloor as well as the necessary licences; a 7-day or theatre licence, a dance licence and special exemption order to open late. However if bands or DJs are hired for private events such as corporate parties or family celebrations – other than a wedding – people will have to remain seated.
Pubs can now hire live entertainment, but unless they have the necessary licences and designated space, patrons will have to remain seated for the performance.
This has already resulted in cancellations for those working in the industry.
Garvan Rigby, director of Star DJs said companies organising Christmas parties in particular have cancelled the planned entertainment.
“They’ll have to be seated at a table – why would they have a DJ if they can’t dance?” he said.
“We get the knock-on effect of this because we get cancelled by the venues. We’re 90% down on bookings compared to where we were before Covid.
If the government wants to know why there are still 100,000 people on the PUP [Pandemic Unemployment Payment], this is why. People are uncertain about coming off it – why would they when they’re being hired for something and then told its’s cancelled, it’s too uncertain.
This time of year is usually the busiest for this industry, he said, and it was a blow to those working in it to hear that a full lifting of restrictions is not likely before next spring.
“If we don’t get properly up and running in the next few days it’s too late. I can’t believe we’re still here,” he said.
‘Blamed for rising numbers’
Jackie Conboy of the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland (MEAI) said that while representatives received a lengthy document last night, by lunchtime today these guidelines still had not been published.
He said this caused concern that further changes could be made last minute today.
“This is the biggest weekend of the year and we’re just being thrown into things now,” he said.
He said that while some clarity had been provided yesterday, “anomalies are still there”.
“We worked out a certain amount through consultation but this all could have been sorted a week ago,” he said. “And unfortunately some venues had to cancel before the guidelines because they were afraid it would go in a different direction – some cancelled right after the announcement by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Ryan.”
Conboy described the announcement on Tuesday by government as “a shambles” and said those working in the industry were offended by the manner in which politicians spoke about the guidelines.
“I don’t think people realise what this industry has gone through,” he said. “When you see the Taoiseach saying with a bit of a smile ‘what goes on in nightclubs’ – these are professionally run venues with so many people relying on them for their living. There seems to be an awful lack of respect for what we do.”
He said he is also worried that if case numbers continue to rise, as they have already been over the last fortnight, this industry will bear the brunt of the blame.
“The numbers are already going up so we don’t want the music industry to be suddenly blamed for it. Something I’ve been hearing from people is that they don’t want this to be a case of opening up and then closing down again.”
Advertisement
Sunil Sharpe, DJ and spokesperson for the Give Us The Night campaign, said those working in the industry are heading back into a high-pressure environment, reopening on a bank holiday weekend while Covid case numbers are rising.
“It’s important that venues are given a fair shot at this and allowed to settle into operating in this new environment. We want to reopen and stay open,” he said.
Trying to manage things 100% according to some proposed guidelines will be very challenging. This is a lot of operators’ first shot at things like contact tracing and socially-distanced queuing, for instance, they really do have their hands full, especially with staffing as difficult as it is at present.
He also questioned why the government did not put plans in place earlier to introduce wider scale use of antigen testing as an added safety measure.
“It seems like the government is now getting ready to support the use of antigen testing for events, but we need to see quick action on that,” he said.
If we can’t get a good system in place this weekend, let’s get it moving next week or the week after that. We would like to see more venues and promoters to test its use if they can, but ultimately we would like it to become a standalone form of entry to venues, and for the government to start a programme like the NHS did where lateral flow tests are available for free.
‘We’re excited’
Despite the stress and confusion caused by the last minute government announcement and industry talks that came down to the wire, those working in the industry are looking forward to welcoming customers back through their doors again.
Owner of Tramline nightclub in Dublin, Ian Redmond, told The Journal that he and his staff are “really excited” about getting back open.
Ian Redmond
Ian Redmond
“It’s been a whirlwind past six weeks getting everything ready, the stock arrived, the staff are ready and it’s going to be brilliant.”
The venue will open at 7pm for seated live entertainment before its first nightclub night begins at 10pm. Some 900 tickets have been sold for the event.
Redmond said the announcement that Covid certs would still be required for indoor events and activities this week has not changed much for him as the terms and conditions of the tickets stated the event would be run under government guidelines.
“We’re confident we can do this safely. We’ll be encouraging people not to do a big rush at the bar, we’ll have plenty of bar staff on. We’ll also be doing thermometer checks so everyone in the venue will be doubly checked.
“And we’re just asking people if they have a temperature or are feeling unwell to stay home, if you want a refund we’re more than happy to do it.”
Speaking in Brussels this morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the government’s handling of the reopening of nightclubs over the past week.
“I have had feedback that quite a lot of nightclubs are very happy with the fact that they’re reopening. The night-time economy and live entertainment have suffered more than most throughout the pandemic. People who work in that sector, artists, performers, have had a very, very, very tough time,” he said.
What we’re doing now is doing everything we possibly can to facilitate the return of live entertainment, nightclubs and the night economy, in a cautious way because Covid is still a factor here.
“It’s not government, it’s not the sector, it’s a global pandemic, which means the responses are not the responses that we would normally be doing in a normal situation.”
‘Stay safe’
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has told people to enjoy themselves this weekend as night clubs reopened, but urged them to remain cautious.
Varadkar said while he has no plans to attend one himself this weekend, he urged those that do to enjoy themselves, and remain safe. He said: “I know a lot of people have been working very hard for the last couple of weeks and are going to enjoy the time off over the bank holiday weekend.
“I’d say to people, whatever you’re doing, absolutely enjoy yourself, but do stay safe.
“The most important thing really is that if you are having symptoms, that you don’t go out and about, that you stay at home, you get a test and even if the test is negative, if you have symptoms, don’t be out and about. If you don’t have symptoms, consider an antigen test.
“And please be sure to wear a mask if you’re in a crowded scenario or if you’re in any of those indoor places where we advise it.”
- With reporting by Rónán Duffy and PA
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
22 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'The place is not functioning properly': Committees not back to work 3 months after election
Jane Matthews
2 hrs ago
1.3k
17
Press Freedom
White House to 'decide’ which news outlets cover Trump, in a break with a century of tradition
3 hrs ago
6.9k
88
Rosslare
Man arrested after woman dies following 'serious incident' aboard ferry at Rosslare
Updated
3 hrs ago
89.4k
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 152 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 104 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 136 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 106 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 78 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 77 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 37 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 33 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 127 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 60 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 75 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 82 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 38 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 43 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 25 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 86 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 96 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 68 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 50 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 84 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 64 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say