Live Nation to Test Crowdless Concert Broadcasts, Drive-In Shows
Live Nation offered some interesting updates on their investor earnings call regarding future concerts during the coronavirus pandemic.
Per Rolling Stone, President and CEO Michael Rapino said on the call that Live Nation would test crowdless concerts with broadcasts and drive-in style concerts this summer, as well as festivals with reduced capacity.
Rapino said, “Whether it’s in Arkansas or a state that is safe, secure and politically is fine to proceed in, we’re going to dabble in fanless concerts with broadcasts, we’re going to go and do reduced capacity shows because we can make the math work. There are a lot of great artists that can sell out an arena, but they’ll do 10 higher-end smaller theaters or clubs. We’re seeing lots of artists chomping to get back out once it’s safe.”
Rapino continued, “So it’s important for us to keep doing drive-in concerts, which we’re going to test and roll out, which we’re having some success with, fanless concerts which have great broadcasting opportunities, reduced capacity festival concerts, which could be outdoors, could be in a theater, could be in a large stadium floor where there’s enough room to be safe. We have all of these plans in place depending on the market and where that local city may sit in their reopening phases.”
This update comes after news of a concert taking place in Arkansas next week that is going to be a trial run on social-distancing.
Travis McCready, the frontman for country-rock band Bishop Gunn, will be performing in Fort Smith, Ark. on May 15 at Temple Live, which holds approximately 1,100 people. Per the concert’s Ticketmaster listing, the venue will operate at 20 percent capacity and only allow 229 tickets to be sold. Fans will be seated in small groups or “fan pods” with at least six feet separating each pod. The venue will be taking a number of other safety measures including the following:
-Fog sprayers will be used to sanitize the venue by an independent third party.
-Masks will be required for all employees and concert attendees, with masks being available for purchase at the venue.
-All walkways in the venue will be one-way to enforce social-distancing guidelines
-A 10 person limit in all restrooms, where soap and paper towel dispensers will feature no-touch technology.
-Temperatures of all attendees will be taken at the venue’s entrance.
-All drinks will be prepackaged or have lids.
-Venue staff will be wiping down various “touch points” or surfaces during the entire show event.
