World’s Second Largest Live Music Company to Require Vaccine Passports

The world’s second-largest live music company will require proof of vaccinations for future customers. According to NPR, the company AEG Presents – which hosts festivals like Coachella, Firefly, and Day N Vegas – announced on Thursday that it will be implementing a vaccine passport system at all 48 of its venues come October 1. Currently, the company’s policy allows for customers and staff to provide a negative coronavirus test.

In a statement, AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano said that “vaccine hesitancy” amid the Delta variant pushed the new policy into action. “Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading,” he said. “The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again.”

While AEG Presents General Counsel Shawn Trell acknowledged that the policy could face opposition in certain states and even from individual artists, he felt the company’s platform could be used to “make an impact” against vaccine hesitancy.

“Certain states’ regulations may override our mandate, or a few artists may not want to immediately get on board with the plan,” said AEG Presents General Counsel Shawn Trell in the press release. “But we know that using our platform to take a strong position on vaccinations can make an impact.”

Vaccine passports for live events was first proposed by the company Ticketmaster in November of last year. At the time, Mark Yovich, president of Ticketmaster, told Billboard that third-party verification companies would be used to track the coronavirus.

“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,” Yovich said at the time. “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.”

AEG’s competitor Live Nation said it will not be implementing vaccine passports and will instead allow artists to make that decision for their shows.

“Artists performing at its venues can require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for entry, and effective October 4, ‘all employees in the U.S. [must] be vaccinated to enter one of our events, venues or offices – with limited exceptions as may be required by law,'” reported Variety.
Follow Paul Bois on Twitter @Paulbois39