Live Nation To Require Proof Of Vaccination/Negative Test Results

Live Nation has announced a new update for concert-goers who will be attending their events this Fall to help combat the spread of COVID. Starting October 4, 2021, all artists and fans will be required to show proof of full vaccination or show a negative COVID test before attending their venues and festivals across the United States. All Live Nation employees will also need to be fully vaccinated in order to work or visit the company’s events, venues or offices.

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"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 U.S.," Live Nation Entertainment president and CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement. 

The announcement impact’s a large amount of the live music business, as Live Nation operates a big portion of the major U.S. tours kicking off in recent months and weeks. Some of these events include festivals such as Lollapalooza Chicago as well as many amphitheaters, clubs and theatres. The policies are subject to local law, which is a hurdle for Live Nation that operates within different local governing bodies. Many states have outright banned the requirement of masks or vaccinations, such as Texas and Florida, with laws introduced that apply to not only government bodies but businesses as well. 

The policy looked to be effective at the Lollapalooza event in July, with Live Nation President Joe Bechtold announcing in an August 3 earnings call that over 90% of attendees were fully vaccinated, and local health officials stating that 200 cases were linked to the event. Close to 400,000 fans were said to be in attendance over the four-day festival.

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