Artists Can Require Proof of Vaccination or Negative Covid Test at Live Nation Venues
The live music industry has started to resume, but safety remains the utmost concern after a year-long shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Events promoter and venue operator Live Nation have laid out their stance on requiring vaccinations or negative COVID tests in a new document to artists that allows and encourages them to employ COVID measures to help negate a possible outbreak.
The document was obtained by Variety, with it revealing that "all employees in the U.S. [must] be vaccinated to enter one of our events, venues or offices – with limited exceptions as they may be required by law." That would take care of the staffing for shows, but the document also details Live Nation's support to artists should they also want to employ vaccination proof or negative COVID tests where fans are concerned as well.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, who signed the document sent to artists, explained, "We know people are eager to return to live events and we hope these measures encourage even more people to get vaccinated. That is the number one thing anyone can do to take care of those around them and we are encouraging as many shows as possible to adopt this model."
The full letter (per Variety) can be read below:
All –
It has been great to see events make such a strong return across the U.S., with demand for concerts and festivals continuing to outpace our expectations.
LIVE NATION SHOWS
We are working to ensure we are reopening in the best way possible for staff, artists, crew, fans, and communities at large. Our teams have worked together to put new processes in place so that artists doing shows with Live Nation in the U.S. can require all attendees and staff to be fully vaccinated or show a negative test result for entry, where permitted by law. We believe this is a great model, and we have already implemented this successfully at many major shows including Lollapalooza. We know people are eager to return to live events and we hope these measures encourage even more people to get vaccinated. That is the number one thing anyone can do to take care of those around them and we are encouraging as many shows as possible to adopt this model.
EMPLOYEE VAX REQUIREMENT
In support of this model and to continue leading by example, we will be requiring that all employees in the U.S. be vaccinated to enter one of our events, venues or offices – with limited exceptions as may be required by law. This requirement will go into effect October 4, when our offices are set to reopen their doors for flex work, and to allow on-site staff a few weeks to get vaccinated if they haven’t already. HR will share more details on this soon. As a reminder we are providing an extra paid day off for every dose so you can schedule appointments easily. We’ve seen great vaccination enthusiasm among our staff so far, and we want to ensure we’re taking every step possible to keep you all safe.
Our business and our industry is about uniting people and vaccines are one of the greatest tools for making sure that everyone can continue to enjoy live music together. We’ve gone through a lot this past year and it’s remarkable to see how far we’ve come. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to your HR partner. And thank you for continuing to play a role in our continued success.
– Michael
As was stated by Rapino in the document, safety measures were recently applied during this past weekend's Lollapalooza. The festival required attendees to present their vaccination card indicating that they were fully or partially vaccinated. Unvaccinated individuals had to show proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of attending and wear a mask.
But even with the safety protocols in place for the outdoor festival, health officials have suggested that a good practice for concertgoers would be to have another COVID test following the event.
In a CNBC article speaking about health concerns following Lollapalooza, Dr. Jorge Parada, medical director of Loyola Medicine’s Infection Control Program, suggested that quarantining after a mass crowd event, especially if you have vulnerable people in your life, would be recommended.
Mercedes Carnethon, vice chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, also championed the benefits of wearing masks even if you've been vaccinated.