Time Out becomes Time In amid coronavirus lockdown

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/mar/24/time-out-becomes-time-in-amid-coronavirus-lockdown

Version 0 of 1.

Magazine goes online only and focuses on virtual events for people staying at home

Events listings magazine Time Out has temporarily rebranded itself as Time In as the UK goes into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.

With fewer commuters going out to work, the company has stopped printing its free editions of the magazine for London and is launching an e-version alongside its digital output. It has also shut down all of its six food markets in Lisbon, Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago and Montreal.

“With many city-dwellers currently working from home and fewer commuters in the city, Time Out magazine will temporarily have a Time In too – like so many people - and go digital-only for now,” a statement said. “Once the city bounces back, the magazine will return.”

On top of promoting gigs, theatre productions and art exhibitions that are available for readers to stream online for free, it will focus on supporting local businesses whose owners and staff have been thrown into uncertainty by the lockdown.

Caroline McGinn, the magazine’s global editor-in-chief, said: “It is uplifting to see people and venues in our cities helping each other, and coming together through virtual shared experiences when they cannot physically congregate. We are showcasing many of these incredible initiatives and have been heartened to see our audience continue to show strong support for our brand and, most importantly, each other and the cities they love.

“Since 1968, Time Out has curated the best of the city and has been part of urban cultural life around the world, through good times and more challenging ones. In these unprecedented times, we will continue to bring the best of the city to Londoners and to celebrate its diversity, spirit and resilience, which are so apparent in this crisis: we’re here to document that as Time In until it’s time to go out again.”

The company is expected to open a new market in Dubai this year, while a London venue in the former Eurostar tunnels at Waterloo station is scheduled to be completed in 2021. However, it is not clear how these openings will be affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.