The London Aftermath

New York’s cultural marketplace was devastated after the 9/11 attacks, and in London, fears that a similar fate could befall the city’s arts purveyors has been intense since the subway and bus bombings of July 7. It’s too early for much more than anecdotal evidence, but early research indicates that theatres were hit hardest, with most galleries and museums returning quickly to normal patron levels. At the BBC Proms, walk-up sales are down, but overall, concerts are more full than at the same point last summer. Of course, no one yet knows whether the attacks will be an isolated event, or the beginning of a new campaign of terror in England’s capital city, and that, more than anything, will likely determine the long-term implications of the July 7 bombings.