Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto Urges Congress To Help Independent Entertainment Venues
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is calling on Congress to help the entertainment industry weather the pandemic.
The mayor issued a letter to lawmakers in support of three bills that would offer relief and support to independent music and entertainment venues, as well as theaters. He says Pittsburgh's live entertainment industry "attracts tourists from near and far."
Live events have been on hold since the part of the pandemic, and it's estimated that 90 percent of independent venues nationwide could be forced to close.
The mayor's office says the "trickle-down" of these closures would negatively affect local artists.
"Our independent venues and theaters aren't just important because of their economic impact. Art, music and entertainment are historically woven into the rich cultural fabric of Pittsburgh. There's no price you can put on their cultural value for our neighborhoods and our city, but there is a price we can put on making sure they don't go under," Mayor Peduto said in a press release.
"I'm urging Congress to ensure that our local venues are included in and protected by relief packages. They're what make our neighborhoods great and, frankly, they're what make Pittsburgh Pittsburgh."
