What is entertainment going to look like this year?  

It’s no secret that entertainment was hit hard by COVID-19 with restrictions on large groups, resulting in the closure and cancellation of events across the world. This has not only impacted the entertainment industry, but also bars, restaurants, retailers and other small businesses that thrive on customers from nearby entertainment venues. But with the vaccine rollout and more restrictions lifted this year, what will entertainment look like for the rest of 2021, and what does this mean for small businesses?

1. Streaming is here to stay, at least for now

Many entertainment venues are yet to reopen fully, and many more don’t plan to reopen at all this year. For these venues, investing in streaming and at-home entertainment experiences is key. Even after venues do reopen, some customers may remain reluctant to return to live events, so expect to see permanent online streaming options as an alternative to in-person attendance.

What does this mean for small businesses?

For businesses that normally thrive off of live event customers, this year is not likely to be a complete return to normal. If your business has invested in any kind of pandemic workaround, it’s wise to keep at it for now while in-person business is still recovering.

2. Events that do happen will look very different

Any live entertainment events that do occur will only do so with major health and safety precautions in place. Quartz predicts that any music festivals returning this year will likely require masks to be worn throughout, enforce timed entries and might require attendees to show proof of vaccination. Movie theatres are reopening, but with capacity restrictions, mask mandates and social distancing measures in place.

What does this mean for small businesses?

All of this means the popularity of events might be severely affected by local restrictions and vaccine rollout success. If an event near you is resuming, keep a close eye on their website to see what restrictions are in place and what that means for your potential customers. For example, if food consumption isn’t allowed on site, food service businesses nearby could benefit from the hungry event-goers.

3. Big festivals will take time to recover

For the second year in a row, major festivals like South by Southwest have no plans to resume in-person events this year. On top of that, Coachella and Stagecoach are not returning at all, setting a trend for other summer festivals this year.

What does this mean for small businesses?

All of this suggests that small businesses that operate near or in major festival areas can expect to wait at least another year before resuming their normal operations in this area.

4. Sports might be back, but fans might not

The world of live sports might be returning this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean athletes will be competing in packed stadiums. According to the Washington Post breakdown of the major sports leagues, while many sports leagues are resuming events this year, the vast majority are not welcoming fans to watch live, with the possible exception of some auto racing events.

What does this mean for small businesses?

Businesses near sporting venus can expect to wait another year before resuming their trade with sports fans. On the plus side, with sports events resuming, at-home watch parties will come too, so there’s an opportunity for businesses to sell and/or deliver food, drinks or other products themed around major sports events.

5. Outdoor events are a safe bet

With all of the uncertainty around in-person live entertainment, there is one area that will return somewhat reliably this year: outdoor events. While there may still be capacity restrictions, mask mandates or other COVID-19 guidelines, outdoor events are still planned to return in some capacity this year. Venues like the Music Hall Amphitheatre in Detroit were created as a pandemic workaround, but are likely here to stay. 

What does this mean for small businesses?

New regular outdoor events bring with them new opportunities for businesses in the area. Research the entertainment venues near you to see if they are planning outdoor events. If they are, think about how your business can provide a valuable service for these new event-goers. It could be anything from selling products near the event, to offering discount coupons to event-goers.