Will COVID vaccinations be mandatory to attend concerts? Ticketmaster says no, but is working on technology to keep concertgoers safe
Ticketmaster has denied reports stating that concertgoers (or simply event-goers) would be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to attend concerts.
According to a statement from Ticketmaster, “We are not forcing anyone to do anything.”
Though, the idea has been reportedly considered, a vaccine would not be mandated, according to Yahoo, following confusion from both critics and supporters of citizens being vaccinated to attend events.
Instead, Ticketmaster is reportedly exploring technology on their app that shares if potential concertgoers are coronavirus free. While being vaccinated wouldn’t be mandated, vaccination would be option for clearance to attend concerts.
The original report was published by Billboard, centering how Ticketmaster plans to address the safety of concertgoers and/or event-goers as the world starts to return to normalcy post-pandemic.
The article came out days after it was announced that a COVID-19 vaccine, which is still in development by drug company Pfizer, is 90% effective so far. Hence, the news sparked hope that the live event industry would resume sometime after the vaccine would become available or start distribution.
The live event industry has taken a mega hit since the pandemic started in March 2020 and much of the world went into quarantine, impacting economies globally. So, Ticketmaster is considering the below approach to how this technology would work. According to Billboard:
Here’s how it would work, if approved:
—After purchasing a ticket for a concert, fans would need to verify that they have already been vaccinated (which would provide approximately one year of COVID-19 protection) or test negative for coronavirus approximately 24 to 72 hours prior to the concert.
—The length of coverage a test would provide would be governed by regional health authorities -- if attendees of a Friday night concert had to be tested 48 hours in advance, most could start the testing process the day before the event.
—If it was a 24-hour window, most people would likely be tested the same day of the event at a lab or a health clinic.
—Once the test was complete, the fan would instruct the lab to deliver the results to their health pass company, like CLEAR or IBM.
—If the tests were negative, or the fan was vaccinated, the health pass company would verify the attendee’s COVID-19 status to Ticketmaster, which would then issue the fan the credentials needed to access the event.
—If a fan tested positive or didn’t take a test to verify their status, they would not be granted access to the event.
—There are still many details to work out, but the goal of the program is for fans to take care of vaccines and testing prior to the concert and not show up hoping to be tested onsite.
Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich said:
“We’re already seeing many third-party health care providers prepare to handle the vetting -- whether that is getting a vaccine, taking a test, or other methods of review and approval - which could then be linked via a digital ticket so everyone entering the event is verified. Ticketmaster’s goal is to provide enough flexibility and options that venues and fans have multiple paths to return to events, and is working to create integrations to our API and leading digital ticketing technology as we will look to tap into the top solutions based on what’s green-lit by officials and desired by clients.”
According to Billboard, medical records would not be stored in Ticketmaster’s app, but they will receive verification that event-goers are coronavirus-free and hence, able to attend events.
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