The United Kingdom Held Their First Socially-Distant Concert In Newcastle

In mid-March, various tours all across the country came to a screeching halt as the coronavirus put an end to almost all live music for the foreseeable future. Many artists have resorted to drive-in concerts as a way to still perform for fans. For some artists like Kehlani, it proved to be beneficial, while other artists’ attempts at social-distant shows, such as those put on by DaBaby, proved to be unsuccessful. But one put on across the pond in the United Kingdom came with a bit of a twist.

Taking to Newcastle’s Virgin Money Unity Arena, Sam Fender performed at the United Kingdom’s first socially-distant concert at an outdoor venue. Nearly a year removed from his Hypersonic Missles debut album, the English singer performed for 2,500 attendees, who watched from a total of 500 platforms that were two meters apart from each other. Each platform would hold no more than 5 people per platform, achieving their goal of a socially-distant night.

As the night went on, many fans shared their opinions on the new setup, with many saying that, considering the circumstances, the concert was a success. One fan labeled it as “the future! And least for the foreseeable…,” while another said it was “brilliantly organised.” Others weren’t big fans of the concert, one saying, “if that’s what the future is, count me out.” Whether or not this kind of setup becomes a regular thing remains to be seen, but if fans would like to get back to the outdoor concert, unorthodox approaches like this one may be necessary.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.