Governors Ball 2019 - Saturday
photo by Gretchen Robinette

Missouri Governor says concerts & other live events may resume starting Monday

Governors Ball 2019 - Saturday
GovBall 2019 (more by Gretchen Robinette)

Missouri Governor Mike Parsons has declared that concerts and other public events like movies and amusement parks can start happening in the state starting Monday, May 4. As noted by Billboard, the announcement was made as part of Missouri’s “Show Me Strong Recovery Plan” and will be the first state in the US to allow such events since the COVID-19 lockdown began. Here’s the official language:

Can I attend an event at a large venue or stadium, or go to a movie theater?
Yes. However, seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements.

This will apply to events such as amusement parks and attractions, concerts, drive-ins, funerals, museums, school graduations and weddings.

Most major Missouri cities, however, will not see concerts reinstated so quickly. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a statement, “We will continue to be guided by data, not dates.”

Even if Missouri is allowing them to happen, a recent poll found that most people would not want to attend a concert before a vaccine is available. And when venues will actually reopen is another question.

Meanwhile, Danish singer-songwriter Mads Langer found another way to bring back live shows — have a drive-in concert. Forbes reports, around 500 tickets were sold with only six days notice to his auto-only show just outside the city of Aarhus, with audio transmitted to attendees’ car radios. More events similar to this in the same space are apparently already in the works: Mads posted this pic from the stage:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_X2oPfDXEx/?utm_source=ig_embed