Following more than a year of lockdowns, closures and restrictions, Germany has announced a 2,5-billion-euro fund to give the cultural sector a much-needed boost. The funding will aid event planners, organisers and businesses, as the country begins to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many venues have seen their event capacities drastically reduced due to restrictions placed on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. The fund will be significant for these venues in particular, due in part to the large losses in ticket sales, and will also act as a form of cancellation insurance if COVID-19 cases begin to increase again.
The finance package will come into effect from July 1 for events with up to 500 participants, and from August, events with up to 2.000 participants can also receive funds. From September, larger events will also be eligible for cancellation insurance too.
The news comes after many cultural events have already seen their plans for 2021 cancelled, including Munich’s Oktoberfest. It is hoped that the fund will bring reassurance and hope to the cultural sector, and will allow the general public to return to a sense of normality, albeit cautiously.
Over the past few weeks, coronavirus restrictions have been softened in some German states, allowing many events, especially those taking place outdoors, to take place again after months of lockdowns.
Culture Minister Monika Grütters praised the fund as a way to kickstart the culture sector back into action, adding that the fund is “recognition for the burden placed on the cultural sector during the corona crisis, but also a recognition of the sector’s importance."