It appears Live Nation is looking to put safety first. The nation’s largest concert promotion company has announced that vaccinations or negative COVID-19 tests will be required for its concerts and festivals. The requirement goes not only for all attendees but also all artists and workers at any future shows that are involved with the company. President and CEO Michael Rapino detailed the announcement in a statement on Friday.
“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, according to Rolling Stone.
Live Nation — which is responsible for some of the biggest festivals in the world, including Lollapalooza, Music Midtown, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo — previously announced it would allow artists to determine vaccination requirements for its shows. The company is also requiring all employees to be vaccinated by October 4 in order to visit any of their offices, events, or venues.
The announcement comes after AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), the country’s second-largest concert promotion company, announced it would put the same policy in place for its shows. AEG is responsible for subsidiaries like GoldenVoice, which operates festivals like Coachella, Stagecoach, and upcoming fests like Lovers & Friends and Day N Vegas.