Manchester Attack Puts Concert Industry Further on the Defensive
- Paris tragedy added $15,000 a day to festival costs in France
- Location, timing of bombing point to changing needs for venues
The suicide bombing of the Manchester Arena last week is forcing operators of large public venues to reassess their security measures and contemplate higher spending as they try to keep visitors safe without taking all the fun out of going to a concert or big event.
The attack, which killed 22 people as concertgoers were filing out of an Ariana Grande show, was reminiscent of the tragedy in Paris less than two years ago, when gunmen opened fire at a rock concert at the Bataclan club. France has been in a state of emergency ever since that November 2015 incident, and the average safety cost for festivals in the country has climbed by about 13,613 euros ($15,000) a day in 2016, according to the National Center for Song, Variety and Jazz. Those costs represent about 2.7 percent of total festival budgets, the group said.