Large-scale festivals and concerts have been returning since the beginning of the summer despite a new surge in Covid cases, and although a few live music events have now been canceled due to the spread of the delta variant, many are moving forward with additional guidelines in place. Namely, they will require proof of vaccination.
Lollapalooza, which took place in Chicago last month and required either proof of vaccination or a negative test upon entry, does not seem to have been a super-spreader event — so far, only 203 cases have been linked to the festival. This is reassuring for the industry and proves that these types of events can be held with minimal fallout if done properly.
Bonnaroo, which is returning in-person this year in September, will now also be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test. It is letting fans know on its website that “Bonnaroo strongly encourages vaccination. The last day to receive the second shot of Moderna or Pfizer, or a single dose of Johnson and Johnson is Thursday, August 19th.”
Fans will need to present a valid ID along with their vaccine card or test results in order to receive a Health Check Wristband, which will be required for entry in addition to the normal festival wristbands. Onsite testing will also be provided at $40 a pop for those who were not able to get tested beforehand.
Meanwhile, Live Nation and AEG Presents, two of the largest promoters in the US, have both announced that shows held in their venues will require proof of vaccination beginning on October 4th (Live Nation) and October 1st (AEG). Live Nation will also be accepting negative tests for fans, but not employees — all staff will need to be fully vaccinated. AEG, on the other hand, will only be accepting negative tests until the policy goes into effect. This leaves fans who don’t want to deal with testing about a month and a half to get vaccinated.
“Certain states’ regulations may override our mandate, or a few artists may not want to immediately get on board with the plan, but we know that using our platform to take a strong position on vaccinations can make an impact,” Shawn Trell, COO and General Counsel of AEG Presents, said in a statement. “The message we want to send is simple and clear: the only way to be as safe as possible is to require everyone to be vaccinated. And we’re confident that others who haven’t been ready to make this full commitment yet will follow our lead.”
And he may be right, since Live Nation — which had previously said that it would let artists decide whether or not to require vaccinations at their shows — made its announcement just a day after AEG.
These announcements come as several more cities, including San Francisco and New Orleans, join New York in requiring proof of vaccination for various indoor activities and performances. We can expect more changes and updates to health and safety guidelines as the situation continues to evolve.