Kilimanjaro Live CEO and Concert Promoters Association vice chairman Stuart Galbraith has said the lack of available insurance means it is too risky to plan events this summer and “the safe money really is to postpone anything to April 2022.”

Galbraith, whose company is owned by Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG), promotes tours by numerous major acts including Ed Sheeran and festivals such as Scotland’s 16,500-capacity Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival.

In an interview with BBC 6 Music’s Liz Kirshaw, Galbraith said the outlook remains too risky and he is looking ahead to April next year: “There is no insurance available at all, which is why so few shows are going on sale and in the next few weeks you are going to see so many events for the summer either announce cancellations or postponements because it is just too risky.

“There will be nothing this summer. The autumn is still risky, and even moving into 2022 who’s to say we are not going to have some kind of Covid season in January, February and March? The real safe money is not to book something or to postpone to April 2022.”

The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, held on the Belladrum Estate near Inverness, remains advertised as taking place on 29 – 31 July 2021, with headliners including Nile Rodgers, Van Morrison and Emile Sandé.

The veteran promoter went on to say that due to travel restrictions, domestic acts will be the first to perform in the UK: “We are blessed in the UK because we have such a huge amount of world-class talent – you will see British artists on the road, certainly, before international tours.”

He added that he is confident the current post-Brexit EU touring issues would be resolved:“Brexit has created some difficulties but they are not live at the moment because of the restrictions. Tours in Europe will continue to happen but maybe not as much. It is true the Beatles played in Germany way before the UK was in the European Union, although that is quite different to modern day tours involving 100 trucks.

“However, I’m absolutely sure these matters, such as visas and trucking, will get sorted eventually.