Spearheaded by the #WeMakeEvents coalition, the goal of the campaign is to bring attention to the dire situation live venues face if Congress doesn't act soon to support the live entertainment industry.
The RESTART Act would provide long-term loans to businesses with high overhead and no revenue due to the pandemic. There are also significant options for loan forgiveness based on lost income.
“The entire live events industry is on the brink of collapse. Without financial relief, many businesses stand to permanently close, and families risk bankruptcy and homelessness,” said Brad Nelms, director of WeMakeEvents North America. “We want to take this opportunity to show the world the scale of what it takes to make live entertainment events happen and demonstrate how much this crisis has affected our community."
Live venues are in a particularly tough spot. They've been closed or operating at limited capacity since mid-March. Several groups have been lobbying hard for the RESTART Act, which has garnered support from hundreds of artists and corporations.
The Senate reconvenes on September 8 and the House returns on September 14.
