Coronavirus: Live Nation to require vaccine, negative COVID-19 tests by artists, audience

Live Nation Entertainment, one of the country’s largest ticket promoters, is joining other concert promoters and will require artists and audience members to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

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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 US,” Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, told NBC News.

Company officials said the rules will be enforced where permitted by law, NBC News reported. Live Nation will also require all of its employees to be vaccinated, not just show a negative test, to visit an event, venue or company office.

The company hopes to encourage vaccinations and points to the success of Lollapalooza, where 90% of attendees were fully vaccinated and others showed proof of a negative test in order to attend the music festival.

“Twelve percent of fans said (Lollapalooza) was actually their reason for getting vaccinated - which is a huge number with 400k attendees throughout the weekend,” the company said.

Health officials said the four-day music festival which drew about 385,000 people saw 203 cases linked to the event, The Associated Press reported.

“Nothing unexpected here,” Dr. Allison Arwady, Department of Public Health Commissioner, said at a news conference last week. “No sign of a ‘superspreader event’. But clearly with hundreds of thousands of people attending Lollapalooza we would expect to see some cases.”

>> Coronavirus: Coachella Music Festival to require proof of vaccination

Live Nation joins AEG Presents, which puts on the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and owns venues across the country. AEG Presents said Thursday it will require proof of vaccination for entry to its venues and events.

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