Skiddle 'More Than a Ticket': Looking Forward to Freedom Day

Now is the time. We can look forward to next week, July 19th where lockdown restrictions will be lifted in England. It has been far too long since we've been able to get together without social distancing. Those nightclubs, festivals and theatres that have given us so many good memories will be able to once again. It'll be such a relief to the people who work in these industries that they can re-open and put on these amazing experiences for us again.

There's so much that we've missed about going out, the crowds, the conversation, that chance to finally see a musician or DJ live right in front of your face. There are so few places where it can feel as though everyone in a single place in one moment can feel completely in sync with one another. That's what we've set out to achieve with our latest campaign video which features poetic spoken word from Thom Rylance, the guitarist and vocalist of The Lottery Winners. You can watch the video here:

The video feeds of the emotive aspects of going out to events, the companionship felt between partners, friends and soon to be friends. Each aspect of the experience can't be overlooked. It's been such a long time that even queuing up will feel like a relief. The excellent still photography comes from Robin Hill, Jen Amelia Veitch and Sebastian Mathes. It's a perfect summary of why it is so much more than a ticket.

Skiddle Co-founder Richard Dyer had this to say about July 19th and our latest campaign. “Words simply cannot describe how much excitement there is ahead of Freedom Day. Having worked in the events industry for over 20 years, demand has never been higher. For many, it’s been a long time coming and we wanted to mark the occasion with a true celebration of not just events themselves, but everything that comes along with it - the sticky floors, the laughter, being in a crowded field, dancing with mates and so much more.

“Thom is an artist who we’ve supported for a while and we couldn’t be happier with his spoken word piece for this video. He’s captured that indescribable feeling of being at a live event so perfectly, and we want to thank him for working with us on this campaign - his words truly brought our vision to life.”

Whilst the campaign has been created to celebrate the positivity of live events taking place once again, Skiddle is also using its platform to raise awareness of what has been a turbulent 15 months for the industry.

Richard continued: “We want this campaign to be a celebration of live events, but we also want to highlight the uncertainty, doubt and struggles the industry has faced as a result of the pandemic. We’ve seen first-hand how much resilience it takes, with many of our peers having had to adapt to an entire new way of working to continue to carry out the work they do - it hasn’t been a pleasant journey for anyone, particularly for artists, talent and those just starting out in the industry. 

“Over the course of the last year, we've worked closely with NTIA and We Are Viable to ensure our promoters have the resources to support themselves, particularly when it comes to insurance. We've hosted the Skiddle Summit, a free virtual event which allowed young people in the industry to gain valuable insight from seasoned professionals. We’ve also appeared on panels with Music Support, and hosted a panel at BMC around inclusivity in nightlife. We even launched The Going Out Podcast which is helping fans get closer to the artists they love in the absence of events. 

“This campaign is dedicated to everyone who has struggled, physically and mentally, and came through the other side. It’s a well-deserved celebration and our way of giving back and saying, ‘well done for getting through it, now it’s time to party!’.”

If you're looking for how to make the most of your summer then take a look at our Festival Finder. If you want to stay local then there's always out What's On Guide