UPDATE: Live Nation has further clarified its COVID-19 protocols: Every artist, crew member, employee and attendee at Live Nation events will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result beginning in early October.
The rules will go into effect 10/4 "where permitted by law," according to Live Nation.
CEO Michael Rapino issued a statement to NBC: “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 U.S."
Live Nation employees must also be fully vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.
The promo giant pointed to the success of Lollapalooza's policy, which was designed to encourage vaccinations, as the reason for the nationwide mandate. 90% of the Chicago festival's 400k attendees were fully vaxxed; 12% of fans said Lolla was the reason they chose to get the jab, according to a Live Nation spokesperson.
Two weeks after Lollapaooza weekend, Chicago health officials declared the event a success, stating, "There was no evidence at this point of a superspreader event."
From 8/6
Live Nation ruler Michael Rapino has issued a statement about changes to the company's COVID-19 practices at Live Nation venues in the U.S. Artists will have the option to require vaccination or proof of a negative test result for people who want to attend their shows.
To demonstrate its commitment to the new policy, Live Nation will require its employees to be fully vaccinated by 10/4 (the day company offices reopen) to enter any LN office, venue or event.
Read Rapino's missive in full below.
CEO NOTE TO EMPLOYEES:
Subject: U.S. Vaccination Update
All,
It has been great to see events make such a strong return across the U.S., with demand for concerts and festivals continuing to outpace expectations.
LIVE NATION SHOWS
We are working to ensure we are reopening in the best way possible for staff, artists, crew, fans and communities at large. Our teams have worked together to put new processes in place so artists doing shows with Live Nation in the U.S. can require all attendees and staff to be fully vaccinated or show a negative test result for entry where permitted by law. We believe this is a great model, and we have already implemented this successfully at many major shows, including Lollapalooza. We know people are eager to return to live events, and we hope these measures encourage even more people to get vaccinated. That is the number one thing anyone can do to take care of those around them, and we are encouraging as many shows as possible to adopt this model.
EMPLOYEE VAX REQUIREMENT
In support of this model and to continue leading by example, we will be requiring that all employees in the U.S. be vaccinated to enter our events, venues or offices—with limited exceptions as may be required by law. This requirement will go into effect Oct. 4, when our offices are set to reopen their doors for flex work and to allow onsite staff a few weeks to get vaccinated if they haven’t already done so. HR will share more details soon. As a reminder, we are providing an extra paid day off for every dose so you can schedule appointments easily. We’ve seen great vaccination enthusiasm among our staff so far, and we want to ensure we’re taking every step possible to keep you all safe. Our business and our industry is about uniting people, and vaccines are one of the greatest tools for making sure everyone can continue to enjoy live music together. We’ve gone through a lot this past year, and it’s remarkable to see how far we’ve come. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your HR partner. And thank you for continuing to play a role in our continued success.
—Michael
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