A new report from Billboard Magazine details a possible way that Ticketmaster will be working to ensure safety at concert venues when major-scale live concerts begin again after COVID-19 put the brakes to most live music around the world.
The report indicates that concertgoers will be asked to provide proof that they’ve either received the COVID-19 vaccine that appears to be on the horizon, or that they’ve received a negative COVID-19 test 24-72 hours before the event.
The concertgoer would have to request that the lab conducting the COVID test send the results to their health pass company, who would then relay the results to Ticketmaster so that they could issue the concert-goer proper credentials to attend a concert. Anyone who doesn’t take a test, or tests positive, would not be permitted to any concert, according to Billboard’s report.
This reported plan would come into effect for a number of Luzerne County venues, most notably the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.
Will Beekman, the general manager of the Mohegan Sun Arena, says that he hasn’t formally heard from anyone at Ticketmaster yet, but he understands the situation and where they’re coming from.
“I think the important thing here is to realize that this is an awful time to be in the business of promoting mass gatherings, and everyone in the live event industry is searching for ways to get back to business, while doing so in the safest way possible,” Beekman said. “I have no doubt that that’s the angle from which Ticketmaster is coming.”
The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any third-party companies to implement the technology that would be needed to make Ticketmaster’s plan feasible, according to Billboard.