Sir Paul McCartney is angry that a government decree is preventing concert goers in Italy from getting refunds on gigs that were cancelled as a result of coronavirus.
The former Beatle was due to perform in Naples on Tuesday and in Lucca on Saturday during his ‘Freshen Up’ tour.
He wrote on Facebook that when his shows across Europe were cancelled on the 7th of May, it was in the belief that fans would receive a refund.
While this was the case in the other countries, a decree passed by the Italian government offered only vouchers for scrapped music events.
“It is outrageous that those who have paid for their tickets are not getting their money back,” McCartney wrote. “Without the fans there would be no live entertainment. We strongly disagree with what the Italian government are doing … the organiser of our shows must do the right thing here.
“We are all extremely disappointed the shows could not take place and this is a real insult to the fans.”
Italian live music promoter Assomusica recomended the move with vouchers valid for 18 months.
D’Alessandro & Galli, the agency that promoted McCartney’s concerts in Italy, said the singer had been aware of the voucher plan before the gigs were cancelled.
Italy’s culture minister Dario Franceschini, said the intention was for vouchers to be used for gigs held by the same artist. If no future dates were set, then people would be entitled to a refund.
