Missing concerts? Support the Day of Visibility on Sept. 22

It’s been more than six months since most of us went to see live music in person. That’s a considerable amount of time for fans to be without interaction with each other and artists. 

But it’s worse for venues that rely on shows to exist. It’s doubly bad for people who work in venues of all sizes.

Live Event Community, formed earlier this year to support people who work at live events, is organizing a Day of Visibility on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to shine literal lights for people who are struggling financially without live music. 

“One hour after sundown, from coast to coast, hundreds of venues and buildings will light their exteriors red to raise awareness for an industry that is still dark — and will be one of the last to recover. Throughout the evening, images and videos will be shared across social media using the hashtag #LightUpLive/EclaironsLesScenes to boost visibility,” the organization says. 

Among the locations participating including Niagara Falls, Roy Thomson Hall, the CN and Calgary towers, Rogers Arena, the Grand Théâtre de Québec, Confederation Centre of the Arts, SaskTel Centre, Stratford Festival Theatre, Royal Theatre Victoria and others. 

“This grassroots movement seems to have caught fire,” says Live Event Community co-founder and industry veteran Morgan Myler. “Our goal is to ensure government acknowledges that our industry has been uniquely impacted by the effects of COVID-19, and that it will continue to offer financial support for live event workers and companies throughout the supply chain until large gatherings are once again deemed safe and the industry comes back to life.”

“This industry is built on passion, and that makes it inherently resilient,” adds Live Event Community co-founder Rob Duncan. “We’re all doing our best to weather this storm and appreciate the support we’ve already received from various levels of government and the general public; however, we’re in a uniquely challenging spot, and need assistance to ensure the show can go on once we’re all on the other side of this pandemic.”

Take a photo, share a thought, flip a switch. If live music is to return someday, it’ll need homes. LightUpLive is trying to save our stages.