Committed to bringing concerts back in the best ways, today Live Nation Canada announced that it will be rolling out protocols requiring all artists and fans to either show proof of COVID vaccination OR a negative COVID test to enter shows at Live Nation Canada’s fully owned and operated venues, where permitted by law. Live Nation Canada said it will have the policy in full effect nationwide no later than October 4, 2021, though many shows will likely implement these protocols sooner as they look to make the switch as soon as possible. Additionally, beyond October 4th, all Live Nation Canada employees will need to be fully vaccinated in order to work at or visit venues or offices.
As the global leader in live entertainment, Live Nation has been doing shows around the world throughout the summer. Vaccination and testing have proven to support the safe return of concerts at full capacity, and Live Nation Canada is advocating that the industry at large adopt similar health check requirements at this time. Live Nation has already implemented this model at events and festivals across the U.S. and U.K., including Lollapalooza, Latitude, Camp Bestival and Wilderness. Data has continued to show the approach successfully allows everyone to enjoy live music, while also inspiring more people to get vaccinated. For example, at Lollapalooza 90% of the festival’s 400,000 attendees showed up fully vaccinated, with 12% of those fans reporting that Lollapalooza was their motivation for getting vaccinated.
“Live Nation and the live music industry are about uniting people, and vaccines are one of the greatest tools for making sure that everyone can continue to enjoy live music together,” said Wayne Zronik, President Business Operations, Live Nation Canada. “We’re confident this is the right move for everyone coming out to shows, including artists, fans, crew, and our staff.”
While studies have shown outdoor environments are inherently low risk, Live Nation will still be rolling out the protocols at outdoor venues and festivals out of extra precaution. Live Nation Canada’s owned and operated venues include Budweiser Stage (Toronto), History (Toronto), The Danforth Music Hall (Toronto), Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver), Midway (Edmonton), and The Velvet Underground (Toronto). Live Nation is also sharing best practices for artists to request these policies at third-party venues where Live Nation promotes shows but does not control protocols.
As each event approaches, ticket purchasers will receive updates via email with the important information needed to plan their visit to Live Nation Canada’s events.
