Coachella, Made in America announce vaccine mandate for concertgoers as other festivals follow suit
AEG, which runs several major festivals, say they will require vaccinations, as will Jay-Z's annual fest on Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Anti-vaxxers hoping to take part in major festivals like Coachella got hit with a blow this week when it was announced that the organizers of the event will now be enforcing a vaccination mandate.
Thursday, major concert promoter AEG Presents announced in a statement that all Coachella and Stagecoach music festival attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination prior to attending live shows.
“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 and Chairman and CEO, AEG Presents. “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.”
“Our hope is that our pro-active stance encourages people to do the right thing and get vaccinated,” added Marciano. “We’ve already had to deliver bad news about JazzFest this week; I think everyone can agree that we don’t want concerts to go away again, and this is the best way to keep that from happening.”
The day before the Coachella announcement, organizers over at the Made in America festival also announced that the annual event usually held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia would be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (taken within 48 hours).
In a statement made Wednesday, Desiree Perez, the CEO of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, said all ticket holders would be required to wear a mask in addition to their proof of vaccination or negative results.
She explained that these guidelines are an unavoidable necessity because the event, which will be headlined by Justin Bieber and Lil Baby, is selling tickets in record numbers.
“We’re trending towards 60,000 people per day,” she revealed.
And to her point, Philadelphia city officials said that masks will be required at all non-seated outdoor events with more than 1,000 attendees. This means anyone who is throwing an event there has to take precautions in order to move forward.
“Like a concert where there is a mosh pit, then people really need to be masked. If they are at a sports game and they’re seated, they wouldn’t have to be masked if they’re outside,” said acting Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole.
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