Live Nation Entertainment announced that proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test will be required for entry to any Live Nation-owned and operated venues or festivals in the U.S. this fall. This is a great thing since New York is now following other states in also requiring masks to be worn in all indoor venues such as concerts, gyms, etc. The other states issuing similar mandates are Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada and Hawaii.
Vaccines or Negative Test Results Will be Required to Attend Live Nation Concerts
The company, which promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertainment in the U.S. and around the world, said enforcement began October 4. This mandate will be applied to both concertgoers and musical acts were permitted by law. They have also developed best practices for artists to request the same policies for gigs at third-party venues.
Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement, “Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows. As of October 4th, we will be following the model we developed for Lollapalooza. Requiring this for artists, fans, and employees at Live Nation venues and festivals everywhere possible in the US.”
Employees will have to be vaccinated and will not get a pass with a negative test result. “Beyond October 4th, all of our employees will also need to be vaccinated in order to visit one of our events, venues, or offices,” Live Nation said.
Lollapalooza Inspired the Mandate
The mandate was partly inspired by the success of Lollapalooza in Chicago. Festival-goers had to provide proof of a negative test or vaccination status; in order to see the likes of Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion perform.
A spokesperson told NBC News, “Twelve percent of fans said Lolla was actually their reason for getting vaccinated; which is a huge number with 400k attendees throughout the weekend.”
Jay Marciano, COO of AEG and Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents, said “Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback; but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day; we will be on the right side of history. Doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers.”
