‘Protest Looming’ In Italy’s Live Sector

The sector grew in terms of attendance figures as well as revenue, generating euro 260.5 million in 2015, which marks a 17.7 percent increase year-on-year. Some 6.9 million people went to concerts (plus 12 percent).

All in all 3,965 events were organized in 2015 (plus 8.2 percent). “We are a segment that innovates, is increasingly international and gives employment opportunities to young people. For years we have been waiting for a reform law framework: the current legislation is old and it does not take into account the changes in the last 40 years,” said Vincenzo Sprea, president of Assomusica. He was referring to the lack of government support for the live music sector, which employs about 400,000 people in Italy.

The ministry of culture only recognizes “theater, prose, dance, showmen, and circus activities,” Vincenzo explained, while “the live music performance sector is not even mentioned among the areas of focus.“ Thus, according to a statement from Assomusica, “a loud protest is looming.”