Most remaining mask mandates and Covid restrictions were lifted in the US in June, but just as things seemed like they would return to some semblance of normal, the delta variant, which is now the dominant strain in the US, has led to renewed mask mandates and another surge in cases.
Despite this, major music events throughout the country are moving forward as planned and are hoping to keep the virus at bay, but their success will greatly depend on how well they implement safety protocols.
Rolling Loud, which took place in Miami last month, was very lax in its regulations since Florida has few state and local health restrictions. The event included a pop-up vaccination site, but it did not require proof of vaccination to enter, nor were attendees required to wear masks.
Shortly before the festival, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava tweeted, “To #RollingLoudMiami attendees: Our community is experiencing a dangerous spike in COVID cases. Please help us slow the spread by practicing safe behavior – and if you aren’t vaccinated, you can get the shot at a Rolling Loud vaccine pop-up all weekend.”
Following the event, one of the performers from the festival, Dess Dior, announced that she had tested positive for the virus, while Florida has now broken its record for current hospitalizations.
Lollapalooza just wrapped up in Chicago this past weekend, with an indoor mask mandate being implemented for its final two days. It remains to be seen whether there will be any Covid fallout from the massive event.
The delta variant is bad news for event organizers around the world and is throwing even more plans into question for the coming months. Festivals and other events should use common sense when implementing Covid protocols, regardless of whether the host city has restrictions in place. There are still ways to mitigate risk if done properly, as was shown recently by Serbia’s EXIT Festival, which hosted over 180,000 fans over four days and was not linked to any significant spread.
However, these protocols aren’t foolproof, and attending large-scale events still presents a risk. For example, the window for getting tested prior to Lollapalooza was 72 hours, which leaves three days for fans to potentially catch the virus within that timeframe and then proceed to spread it at the event.
Upcoming concerts and festivals will implement varying protocols to ensure the safety of attendees and staff. Pitchfork will require proof of vaccination or a negative test within the past 24 hours for each day of the festival, as well as mask wearing throughout the festival grounds, while NYC’s Homecoming Concert will only accept proof of inoculation for entry but will not require masks.