#2 US promoter AEG to require vaccinations at all concerts: ‘tests are not enough’
AEG, the US’s second-largest concert promoter and the producer of Coachella, Stagecoach, Firefly, Day N Vegas, and dozens of major festivals, theaters, and clubs will only let fully vaccinated patrons into shows.
Starting Oct 1st, AEG will no longer allow negative testing as an alternative for entry.
#1 promoter Live Nation has a less strict policy that allows proof of vaccination or a recent COVID test required for some shows at the individual artists’ discretion.
Many independent promoters, venues, and artists are adding a variety of restrictions (more below).
“We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status,” said Jay Marciano, COO of AEG. “Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers.”
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Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.
