The UK’s first live music venue purpose built for social distancing has been revealed.
The 2,500-capacity Virgin Money Unity Arena is set to launch this August in Newcastle’s Gosforth Park, promising a safe environment for music fans and a line-up featuring “several high-profile artists”.
Fans will be asked to arrive by car, which will then be parked at least two metres from each other. Attendees will be guided by staff to their own private viewing area, again remaining two metres away from other guests.
Food and drink can be pre-ordered and later delivered to the viewing area during the concert.
Toilets will operate with a one-way system, with hand sanitisers outside each cubicle. Staff members will be wearing masks at all times.
The line-up — which is set to cover music, comedy and family entertainment — will be revealed on July 7. A number of free tickets for NHS staff and frontline works will be available for each show.
The venue is being organised by promoter SSD Concerts, as well as the team behind Newcastle festival This Is Tomorrow.
Steve Davis, managing director of SSD, said: “Since all of our scheduled concerts have been postponed to later in the year and all venues in the city closed, the staff at SSD had a willingness to continue.
“We can’t be without music during these times so our only thought has been how can we bring music back to the British public safely and responsibly.
"We have been hosting loads of live sessions and DJ sets across our social media, supporting local artists and raising money for the NHS. Now, we’re taking it one step further as the UK slowly comes out of Lockdown.”
It comes after a series of drive-in concerts were announced for London and the rest of the UK, with Dizzee Rascal, Tony Hadley and more set to perform.
Both announcements provide a possible new path forward for some sectors of the music industry, which has been ravaged by the Covid-19 crisis.
However, many traditional venues remain in serious danger of going out of business without urgent government support, and are being forced to crowdfund in order to survive. The Royal Albert Hall said earlier this week that it is facing the “most perilous” situation in its history.
