Photo Credit: Nikola Duza
All AEG live music venues will implement a new vaccine policy on October 1.
All 48 clubs and theaters owned or operated by AEG Presents will be required to follow the new guidelines. New York City’s Webster Hall, Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre, and Denver’s Bluebird Theater are among some of the venues with the new policy.
The new vaccine policy will also apply to all AEG live music events – Coachella, Day N Vegas, and Firefly.
“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,” says AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano.
While many in the live music industry are looking forward to a return to normalcy – rising coronavirus cases across the country are concerning. Touring artists are expressing concerns about the lax implementation of safety procedures to keep them safe.
Now many concerts are being postponed or outright canceled in some states. “Certain states’ regulations may override our mandate, or a few artists may not want to immediately get on board with the plan,” says AEG Presents General Counsel Shawn Trell. “But we know that using our platform to take a strong position on vaccinations can make an impact.”
The new AEG live music vaccination policy will apply only to the clubs and venues it owns or operates. AEG will make requests on behalf of their touring artists when they play at non-AEG venues, a spokesperson confirms. AEG’s approach is vastly different than the one Live Nation is taking.
Live Nation requires all employees in the US to be vaccinated to enter its venues or offices. For events at venues it partially owns or does not own, it leaves the decision to the artists’ teams.
Lollapalooza required proof of vaccination to enter, and Chicago Health Department officials claim only 203 cases of COVID can be linked back to the live festival. An estimated 385,000 people attended the four-day music event. Health officials say 58 native Chicagoans and 138 out-of-state individuals tested positive for coronavirus after the festival.
Bands across multiple genres of music are canceling their tours ‘out of an abundance of caution.’ Limp Bizkit canceled all of their August tour dates after appearing on stage at Lollapalooza. Lynyrd Skynrd canceled four concerts due to Rickey Medlocke contracting COVID-19. The New Orleans Jazz Fest was also rescheduled to Spring 2022 due to rising cases in Louisiana.