Live Nation will require all artists, crew and attendees to show evidence of full vaccination against COVID-19, or a negative test, at their venues and upcoming festivals in the US.
Earlier this month, the touring giant said it would allow its touring artists to set their own protocols for event admission. Now, according to Rolling Stone, Live Nation has clarified its guidelines, enforcing the new mandate where it is legally permitted to do so.
“Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows, and as of October 4 we will be following the model we developed for Lollapalooza and requiring this for artists, fans and employees at Live Nation venues and festivals everywhere possible in the US,” Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement.
Live Nation employees will also be required to be fully vaccinated in order to visit any of the agency’s offices, events or venues.
The decision comes after Lollapalooza, which Live Nation organises, was confirmed to not be a superspreader event. More than 90 per cent of attendees were vaccinated.
“Twelve per cent of fans said Lolla was actually their reason for getting vaccinated – which is a huge number with 400,000 attendees throughout the weekend,” a Live Nation spokesperson told NBC News.
Last week, fellow promoter AEG, which organises Coachella, announced that all its gigs from October onwards will only be open to fully vaccinated ticketholders.
“We realise that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one,” CEO Jay Marciano said in a statement
“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 and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers.”
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