Live music will be coming soon

When are concerts going to return after the corona virus? How will they return?

Are masks required for admittance? Will ticketholders need to prove they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccination to get into arena shows, club gigs, music festivals or other kinds of concerts?

Because, finally, it looks like concerts are on their way back, slightly ahead of some predictions for a rebound. That’s presuming, however, that the pandemic continues its slow unclenching of social life after a trying 13 months of, comparatively, hardly any live music at all.

But what will in-person music events look like when localities across the United States start to reopen more businesses but drop some or all of the COVID-19 safety precautions they adopted over the past year? It’s already happening in some places. Can you feel safe at a show?

These are among the many questions returning concertgoers undoubtedly have before they pack back inside a music venue with hundreds or even thousands of people to enjoy a set from one of their favorite artists. Let’s look at what we currently know about live music’s return.

When Do Concerts Return in My State?

Here’s the big question, and it will indeed vary by state. As infection rates dropped this year, Southern states such as Texas and Mississippi quickly opened back up with no restrictions or limits on venue capacity. Since those states also did away with mask laws, as shown in a map from The New York Times, live music’s comeback in those places is already good to go.

On the other hand, California is only opening up at a limited capacity for concerts on April 15, with a full reopening planned for two months later. According to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state’s mask laws will stay in place even after the full reopening — so, yes, you could go and see a live show there with all your friends, but you’d have to mask up while inside the venue.

Concertgoers itching to get back to the club will have to keep tabs on their state’s reopening guidelines. Chances are, there’s a music venue near you ready to start having concerts again, or they will be very soon. The requirements and precautions will depend on the state.