Jazz on the Lawn by Gig Culture came to an end in 2021 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jennings told the OFM Business Hour that the return of the outdoor event after hard lockdown was not met with the same enthusiasm as before, as at the time some people still feared the virus, while others had really been hurt financially by the pandemic, so attending events was the last thing on their minds.

Jennings says that she has noticed that attendance at outdoor events is once again increasing as the momentum picks up.

"The idea of Jazz on the Lawn was born in 2014 when I noticed the decline of theatre production in the Free State," she says. It was during a tour in America that the idea came to her: how beautiful it would be for people to experience jazz music outside an auditorium.

She says that when she first proposed the idea to the province, she didn't face many obstacles aside from "imposter syndrome" because she reasoned that some people might not even enjoy jazz music that much.

The City of Roses, on the other hand, did the exact opposite and welcomed the idea with open arms.

After some time, it grew more and more and attracted people who really wanted to be in a space where jazz was being played.

However, when hard lockdown hit with its strict restrictions to keep people apart, the business took a knock, like many other entertainment businesses.

Jennings made the decision to give the outdoor event another shot after the tight Covid restrictions were eased, but it was not met with the same enthusiasm as before.

"We held two Jazz on the Lawn events during lockdown, but the crowd was not as large as before Covid," she claims. "We also worried about whether we would return as Jazz on the Lawn, or perhaps in a different way?"

After their attempts at hosting the two Jazz on the Lawn, they realised the market has changed, the dynamic of the events scene has also changed, and people enjoy events in a different way than they did before the pandemic. She concludes that some of the big events have been cancelled due to low ticket sales.

"I think everyone has been so hurt in their pockets after the pandemic. "It's time for us event organisers to strategise and see what the market will appreciate now."

OFM Business Hour