Live Nation announces first socially distanced shows

Live entertainment is making a comeback.

From next week, Live Nation will trial a run of socially distanced shows, the first since the global pandemic shut down life as we knew it.

The concerts powerhouse is teaming up with telecoms giant Vodafone for Together Again, a format which brings together homegrown musicians, comedians and performers each week at Auckland’s The Tuning Fork.

LN’s NZ company “is excited to be welcoming back live events in New Zealand,” comments Live Nation New Zealand Chairman Stuart Clumpas.

“[The Together Again series] is an opportunity for us to unite and celebrate the power of live with some of the country’s first socially distanced shows,” he added.

Together Again will be seen as a first tentative step out of hibernation for the entertainment industry, which has been crushed by the weeks-long lockdown.

A series of strict health and safety precautions are in place for the shows. On entry, punters will undergo temperature screening, contact tracing, and there will be changes to conditions of entry and processing times entering the venue.

Also, the venue will operate under a new set of procedures which include a reduced 100-person capacity. Staff will be required to wear essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, physical distancing of patrons, cleaning procedures and contactless technologies.

Drinks can be ordered via mobile and brought to your spot.

NZ has been a world leader in the fight to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Having imposed harsher restrictions than its neighbour Australia, NZ is one of the first countries to emerge from the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the country would relax its restrictions to “Alert Level 2,” which would allow restaurants and cafes to serve seated customers again, with a maximum of 10 people at a table, and domestic travel would resume.

“The safety of our artists, audience, and staff is always a major focus at Live Nation events and venues, and especially so at this time,” said Clumpas. “Our staff have been working extremely hard to get the doors open again and we aim to deliver not only a great live experience but also one that adheres to all the extra health and safety precautions and measures that line up with the government advice for events at level two.

“We thank everyone in advance for making the effort to follow the new rules and guidelines that will be in place for these evolving times.”

Kicking off the series will be a Friday, May 29 lineup featuring South African-New Zealander comedian Urzila Carlson, plus Ray O’Leary, Nick Rado (MC) and Ruby Esther. The following night, soul singer Hollie Smith will take the mic.

Tickets are priced at $25 and go on sale at 12pm NZST, Wednesday. Visit livenation.co.nz for more.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.