Live Nation To Require Proof Of Vaccination Or Negative Test At Its Venues, Festivals

“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,” Rapino said in a statement provided to Pollstar. 

Also as of Oct. 4, all Live Nation employees will need to be fully vaccinated in order to work at or visit the company’s our events, venues, or offices.

The announcement has major implications across the live music business, as Live Nation operates a huge chunk of the major tours kicking off across the United States in recent months and weeks, major festivals such as Lollapalooza Chicago as well as many amphitheaters, clubs and theaters across the country. 

The policy, mentioned as modeled after the one used at Lollapalooza in late July, appeared effective at that event, with Live Nation President Joe Bechtold saying in an Aug. 3 earnings call that more than 90% of attendees were fully vaccinated, and local health officials saying while 200 cases were linked to the event, it was far from the feared super-spreader event with close to 400,000 total attendees at Grant Park over the event’s four days.

The previous week, Live Nation shared some of its best practices in a memo from Rapino stating that artists and tours would ultimately determine whether vaccination or tests were necessary for their own events. While the Oct. 4 policy appears to expand upon that, a Live Nation representative explains that those previously shared best practices apply to third-party venues that the company does not own or operate. Another representative noted that Live Nation encourages vaccine requirements. 

The COVID-era news cycle continues to change seemingly by the minute, with news of COVID spikes in some regions of the U.S. and changing policies from independent venue operators and promoters, such as Washington, DC-based I.M.P., which noted last week that it would be using a similar policy at its events, which largely take place in the DC-area 9:30 Club, The Anthem and Merriweather Post Pavilion events, as well as many others.

Also last week, AEG Presents noted it would require full vaccination for its festivals as well as club and theater events, with negative testing not being an option, which has major implications for mega-events like Coachella and Stagecoach in Southern California.

The guidelines from entities operating in multiple states have noted that the policies are subject to local law, a continuing hurdle for the business that operates within differing local governing bodies and with many notable states outright banning requirements of of masks or vaccination, including Texas and Florida, with laws introduced that apply to not only government bodies but business as well.