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Mama cancelled as France reduces cap limit again

With eight days to go, Mama Festival and Convention 2020 is off, as Paris shuts its bars and bans professional networking events

By IQ on 06 Oct 2020

Mama 2020 was scheduled for 14–16 October

Mama 2020 was scheduled for 14–16 October


image © Noémie Coissac/Mama Festival and Convention

Paris’s Mama Festival and Convention, the annual networking event for the French live music industry, has pulled its 11th edition with just over a week to go in light of new restrictions on large gatherings in France.

As of 26 September, all of France’s major cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyons, Rennes, Toulouse and Lille, are subject to a 1,000-person limit at major events, even those held outside at venues such as sports stadia.

The capacity limit – formerly 5,000 people, even for indoor events with no social distancing – must again be reduced as a second wave of Covid-19 sweeps France, said French health minister Olivier Véran.

In a joint statement, Mama CEO Daniel Colling and director Fernando Ladeiro-Marques say the new restrictions – along with further measures announced yesterday, including the closure of bars and pubs in Paris (many of which would been Mama showcase venues), and a ban on professional meetings and trade fairs – make it impossible for the event to go ahead.

“Despite our industry’s critical situation in these unprecedented times, Mama has spent the last few months preparing a very special edition,” say Colling and Ladeiro-Marques. “All necessary precautions had been put in place in order for this year’s Mama to go ahead as planned: health measures, access control, reduction of the number of venues, seated events, restricted audience… All these measures were set out to enable our industry’s professionals to meet.

“Mama 2020 was determined to give our sector the opportunity to come together and imagine our common future”

“Mama 2020 was determined to give our sector the opportunity to come together and imagine our common future.”

“The new measures announced in yesterday’s decree are […] too significant to overcome,” they continue. “In light of this, it is with great sadness that we must announce the cancellation of Mama’s 11th edition.

Mama 2020 was scheduled for 14–16 October. All delegate pass holders will receive more information shortly.

Organisers say the conference will be back next year. “We are staying strong in these challenging times and can already look forward to welcoming you in 2021 for a new edition of Mama,” reads a statement.

“Most of all, we want to convey a message of hope and solidarity to venues, clubs, festivals, artists and all other music professionals out there.”

 


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