The V&A, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum will reopen with visitors required to book a time slot, while LiveFrom unveils a new style of ticket for streaming…
StreamingTickets
Livestreaming company LiveFrom has developed a “completely new ticket type” called StreamingTickets.
The digital ticket that is issued to consumers in the LiveFrom app, which will serve as an all-in-one hub for streams, tickets, vouchers and messaging, becomes the stream when the event starts.
Steve Machin, who co-founded LiveFrom with Alan Rakov, said: “Alan and I came to streaming from the world of ticketing. As artist interest and fan demand started to explode, we instinctively recognised the live industry was going to quickly need a simple, yet secure, solution for monetising and delivering high-quality streams beyond free-to-air channels.
“We are building a new suite of streaming commerce tools that unlock a whole new category of monetisation that we are calling ‘stream-commerce’.”
LiveFrom has streamed more than 200 performances over the last three months as artists and venues turned to the method to earn some of the revenue lost to the COVID-19 shutdown of live events.
Rakov, the other co-founder, added: “We view streaming as a fundamentally new element of the artist to fan relationship that will continue long after the return of live events. We think new content opportunities and formats are emerging, and with them new stream-commerce opportunities.
“The ability to deliver access to a stream and/or an in-real-life (IRL) event through the same platform creates a whole new world of fan engagement for artists. We’re looking forward to bringing together a diverse group of partnerships and individual talents to fully realise the opportunity ahead of us.”
London Museums
Three London museums, the V&A, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, have announced a unified reopening plan with pre-booked timed slots.
The museums will open their doors on staggered days to minimise pressure on public transport, though the organisations anticipate 80 per cent fewer visitors.
Michael Dixon, the director of the Natural History Museum, said he expected visitor numbers would be limited to 2,800 a day, about a fifth of the usual average attendance.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to experience all three of our museums without crowds,” he said at a joint announcement of the reopenings on Tuesday, the Guardian reports.
Tristram Hunt, the director of the V&A, said visitors will be able to roam freely, though recommended routes have been laid out.
“The ability to linger on something that catches your eye and not be forced in a certain direction” was important, he said.
The Natural History Museum will reopen first on August 5, the V&A on August 6, and the Science Museum on August 19.
National Gallery
The National Gallery in London has announced tickets to its paid-for exhibition would not be reduced in price following the UK’s VAT cuts on hospitality and attractions.
Last week, the UK government announced it would cut VAT from 20 per cent to five per cent.
This means that tickets purchased between July 15 to January 12, 2021 will be covered, meaning that it will include advance ticket sales for events beyond that time.
While many organisations have announced that the cuts would mean a reduction in ticket prices for consumers, others will maintain price points.
The National Gallery said the COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to its finances and will therefore not reduce prices for its Titian exhibition.
It said in a statement: “We, like other cultural venues, have lost money as a result of the coronavirus lockdown.
“Therefore, we have taken the decision to maintain Titian ticket prices as current and not reduce in line with the VAT reduction on attractions and tourism. This is so we can use the reduced VAT to help us repair our finances for the future.”
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