NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The yearly one-day NYC festival globalFEST was to triumphantly return in 2022. It joins the lengthy list of other live events that have bit the dust due to the current Omicron surge. globalFEST, a non-profit organization describes their mission as “globalFEST breaks down cultural and social boundaries by moving international music to the center of the performing arts field. globalFEST’s programs catalyze creative and artistic networks to foster a robust and sustainable ecosystem for global and American regional music – through performance, engagements, touring, and media – an ecosystem which includes artists, arts professionals, media, and the general public.” In the wake of the cancellation, see globalFEST’s statement:
“We are heartbroken to announce the cancellation of globalFEST’s flagship event, which was to take place on January 16, 2022, at Webster Hall. Out of an abundance of caution for the current upward trends in COVID cases with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, and the nature of live concerts, we have made this decision for the health and safety of our artists, audiences, and staff. Ticket holders will be automatically refunded by Webster Hall to the original payment method used for ticket purchase. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
NPR, one of the sponsors of the event, will still present their “Tiny Desk meets globalFEST” series. The series, hosted by Angelique Kidjo will premiere January 18-20 on NPR’s YouTube channel. Performers for 2022:
- Tufan Derince Group (Netherlands)
- Suistamon Sähkö (Finland)
- Northern Cree (Canada)
- Kombilesa Mí (Colombia)
- Al Bilali Soudan (Mali)
- Bedouin Burger (Syria | Lebanon | France)
- Kiran Ahluwalia (Canada | USA | India)
- Son Rompe Pera (Mexico)
The live music industry has taken one of the biggest hits since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, I would venture to say it came to a complete and total halt with many musicians losing two-thirds of their income in 2020 alone. Goldman Sachs reports, “the live music industry saw a 75% decline in 2020 and in the UK alone, 170,000 jobs were lost.” According to Pollstar, the $9B in estimated loses due to COVID-19 could be realized in the US concert industry”. The positive aspect to all of this is that music streaming revenues are estimated to hit over $1B as people spend more time at home.
globalFEST always happens during the APAP industry conference each year. APAP is an advocacy and membership organization designed to support and develop the live performing arts field. The industry needs all the help it can get to recover from the effects of the pandemic. APAP has canceled their in-person events and have moved all activities online. More information can be found at https://apap365.org
