New York music venues can begin reopening at 33 percent capacity next month. Photo credit: Michael Discenza
Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that New York music venues will be able to reopen next month at 33 percent capacity, with a maximum of 100 attendees for indoor venues and a limit of 200 guests for outdoor venues.
New York’s 56th Governor revealed updated attendance limits for live events in a series of social media posts today. And while various industry bodies have emphasized that it will be difficult (if not impossible) for venues to stay afloat financially while operating at limited capacity, the development appears to represent another encouraging sign for the possibility of a return to live music. large scale later. in 2021.
To be sure, the Empire State made headlines last year for banning all ticketed events, regardless of whether attendees were socially estranged, at New York music venues, restaurants and other venues. A Buffalo musician took aim at the ticketed event ban in a lawsuit, and a judge ruled in his favor in November, invalidating the corresponding order. Then, in January, an appeals court upheld the ruling.
New York music venues will be able to officially reopen at 33 percent capacity, with up to 100 guests for indoor venues and 200 guests for outdoor venues, once again, starting Friday, April 2, according to messages from the governor.
As long as all guests reveal “proof of a negative COVID test” (messages do not mention showing proof of vaccination, although north of 3.75 million NYS residents have received at least the first of two doses ), New York’s indoor music venues do be eligible to accommodate a maximum of 150 people at a time, versus 500 attendees for outdoor venues.
Additionally, on Monday, March 22, the attendance limit for outdoor “residential gatherings” will increase to 25. That said, indoor residential gatherings will remain limited to 10 attendees, and it’s unclear when the state intends to lift this last restriction.
Although this week has brought two less than encouraging cancellations (the top brass at Lightning in a Bottle and the executives at CMA Fest chose to freeze their 2021 festivals), a substantial number of investors and live music professionals remain confident that the concerts will be back soon. to scale.
Since at least mid-February, for example, Live Nation shares have boasted a higher value per share than before the national onset of the COVID-19 pandemic a year ago. And Insomniac Events (about half of which are owned by Live Nation) is quietly completing its schedule of events, including an inaugural “Abduction” music festival taking place in Orlando, Florida, in just over a month.
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