No vax, no tix.
Anyone attending, performing or working at most Live Nation events or venues will have to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test starting in October, the live entertainment giant confirmed over the weekend.
The California-based company, which runs numerous festivals and concerts, said the mandate will be enforced at all shows and locations where such a requirement is legally permitted. The mandate was tested just days ago at Lollapalooza, one of Live Nation’s biggest festivals.
“Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows, and as of October 4th 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,” company president and CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement.
Lollapalooza drew about 385,000 attendees over four days, but the popular Chicago festival did not appear to be a coronavirus superspreader event. The city’s health commissioner said on Twitter that more than 90% of attendees were vaccinated and just over 200, or about 0.05%, tested positive for COVID-19 in the days following the festival, which ended Aug. 1.
Live Nation’s announcement comes just days after the company said it would leave it up to the artists to decide on vaccine requirements. The company did not immediately return a request for more information Monday, but it appears that Lollapalooza’s low rate of infections helped spark the change.
All Live Nation employees at the company’s venues, events and offices must also be vaccinated by early October.
