The current pandemic has impacted New Zealand’s entertainment industry, but shows will soon resume. Live Nation New Zealand is experimenting with the country’s first socially distant shows to revive the industry post-coronavirus.
Two shows this weekend will make up the “Together Again” concert series held at The Tuning Fork in Auckland. Stand-up comic Urzila Carlson – along with musical performers Ray O’Leary, Nick Rado and Ruby Esther – will headline the first show on Friday, May 29. Singer-songwriter Hollie Smith is on tap for the following night.
“Live Nation NZ is excited to be welcoming back live events in New Zealand,” said branch chairman Stuart Clumpas in a statement, via Pollstar. “The Together Again series is an opportunity for us to unite and celebrate the power of live with some of the country’s first socially distanced shows. Our staff have been working extremely hard to get the doors open again and we aim to deliver not only a great live experience but also one that adheres to all the extra health and safety precautions and measures that line up with the government advice for events at level two.”
Safety measures include capping the attendance to 100 patrons per show, filling only a quarter of the venue’s total space. Upon entry, attendees will be subject to contact tracing and a temperature screening, while inside the venue, staff will wear protective masks and gloves with a focus on cleaning. Additionally, bars are to be kept contactless with a mobile ordering system allowing patrons to order table service food and drinks.
The upcoming shows mark the first Live Nation concerts to be held globally since March. To date, New Zealand has logged 1,500 cases of COVID-19 and a death toll of 21. It entered its second level of reopening earlier this month, which prompted schools and businesses to reopen, domestic travel to resume, and restaurants to seat up to 10 customers at a time.