Live Nation's Berchtold Confident in Concerts Returning for Summer 2021

Live Nation President Joe Berchtold affirmed the company’s belief that concerts would be back by midway through 2021 in an interview on CNBC this week. The company has maintained that timeline for several months, pinning its fortunes to the fact that vaccine distribution will be at a level allowing for large scale events without social distancing to occur – at least outdoors – by summer.

“We feel very good right now … at this point, given the vaccine news, we start to see with much greater clarity what the path to return to live is, and certainly a lot of confidence about that return to live,” Berchtold told CNBC. “At this point, on a global basis, we’re already starting to see in Asia some shows coming back, New Zealand operating at full capacity, other Asian markets that have made more progress are getting back more quickly.”

“In the key U.S./Western European markets, it continues to be our expectation that by next summer, we’re back with our major outdoor shows—our amphitheaters here in the U.S., festivals globally. We’ll be able to do those shows.”

The full interview with Berchtold is available below: