The artists' reactions: "Probably saves many"

The cultural industry welcomes the Swedish Public Health Agency's opinion.

- It sounds like a reasonable limit. Then if it helps me with our tour I do not know. It is already sold out and we have around 1000 people in the audience every gig, says Pernilla Wahlgren.

- This probably saves many theaters and productions and people who work in this industry. Then, of course, it is very difficult to get the economy to go together when you have a large room, you may not go break even until there are over 500 people in the audience. I hope that theaters and concert halls can also get lower rents.

Anders Wendin, known under the artist name Moneybrother, is also positive to a higher limit.

- It would be fantastic, a lot of talented professionals will be able to survive on their music, he says and continues:

- If this goes through, I will call some of those I have worked with who have had the worst during this period. I'll try to make sure we get out so they can get some jacks so they can keep their apartments and make sure the kids back home are full. I have to call my booker right away.

He believes that the proposal to raise from 50 to 500 people is a sign that many in the cultural industry may have had very tough summer months unnecessarily.

- If it is possible to raise to 500 people pladask after the summer, you might have been able to be 150 over the summer, people could have kept their companies, he says.

Mikael Brännvall, CEO of Swedish performing arts, which represents 115 theaters and performing arts institutions in Sweden, is positive to the Public Health Agency's statement, and that they propose a distance of one meter between the participants instead of a limit of two meters, which was the government's proposal.

- Two meters would have been devastating, it would not have meant any relief at all. This corresponds to a salon capacity of 15 percent. One meter is much better, he says.

However, he is critical of the fact that they want to set a ceiling of 500 people.

- We are hesitant about an upper roof. It would be better if you left it to the organizers to make that assessment, they know their theater houses and stages.