Ticketing outlet Goldstar has launched a project to help the live entertainment industry, which is currently suffering due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Goldstar hopes to keep live event companies afloat during mass cancellations and are asking subscribers to donate to live entertainment and arts organizations across the country. Subscribers have been given the option to donate $10, $20, or $50, with funds going toward both profit and non profit organizations like the Center Stage Children’s Theater in San Diego and The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.
“We’re tapping into our audience of 10 million subscribers to encourage them to donate at this critical time to support the artists, the people behind the scenes and all who bring so much into our lives,” Goldstar CEO Jim McCarthy said in a statement to Billboard.
Goldstar is the latest company to request donations amid the pandemic. Earlier this month, the Blues Foundation announced that it would not hold its flagship events this May, and while ticketholders can receive refunds, the foundation offered the option to donate tickets to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for Blues Musicians, which will benefit musicians suffering from the backlash of the virus. Additionally, multiple artists have been streaming concerts online with options to donate funds to relief organizations.
Coronavirus has made a huge impact on the live events industry. In just the past two weeks, Live Nation has postponed all remaining tours throughout the end of the month, artists have begun rescheduling dates through the summer, and major festivals have been cancelled or postponed. See the full, updating list of concerts cancelled due to coronavirus here.
As of late Monday afternoon, coronavirus has reached 354,677 people globally, with a death toll of 15,436, The Guardian reports.