- The UK held its first socially distant
concert at pop-up venue Virgin Money Unity Arena on August 11 in Newcastle. - About 2,500 guests were kept at a safe distance using private viewing decks spaced six feet apart.
- Some concerts this year, mainly in the US, have been criticized for not observing
social distancing , and not telling people to wear masks. - Newcastle has more concerts planned with similar social distancing measures for the coming months.
Concerts are sweaty, crowded, with plenty of screaming and singing — things the novel
So far, attempts to hold coronavirus-proof concerts have struggled. Gigs for country singer Chase Rice in Tennessee, and Smash Mouth in South Dakota were criticized for not enforcing the six-foot rule that can reduce coronavirus transmission, and not mandating masks.
But this week, concert organizers in the UK showed that, with some creativity, it may be possible to gather thousands of people to sing, dance, and enjoy live
—Kieron Donoghue (@kierondonoghue) August 11, 2020
On August 11, pop up venue Virgin Money Unity Area in Newcastle held its first-ever socially distant concert — equipped with 500 private viewing decks spaced six feet apart to keep its 2,500 attendees safe, reported Popular Mechanics.
The viewing decks are made of metal frames and limited to five people from the same household.
The show's organizers, SD Concerts, told Metro people are meant to park in the parking lot before heading straight to their assigned private viewing deck to watch the concert.
Each viewing area also had its own fridge for food and drinks, a table, and chairs to make sure fans didn't have to venture away from their deck too often and risk contact with others.
The city of Newcastle has multiple concerts planned with similar logistical setups using these elevated viewing decks.
"We are delighted to play a part in bringing back live music events as we start to emerge from lockdown," Helen Page, group brand and marketing director at Virgin Money, told Metro. "This feels like a unique opportunity to celebrate music and all the wonderful emotions that come with experiencing it live alongside other music fans."
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