Coachella promoter AEG will enforce mandatory vaccination policy: ‘We will be on the right side of history’

Other festivals and US venues will be affected by the new measure

AEG Presents, the live music and events company behind Coachella music festival, has announced it will be requiring proof of vaccination for entry into its clubs, theatres and events.

Only fully vaccinated people will be able to attend the company’s events and venues, the new rules state.

As per The Los Angeles Times, AEG will no longer be accepting negative Covid-19 tests as a substitute for full vaccination.

The policy will be enforced on 1 October in order to allow unvaccinated ticket holders and staff time to get vaccinated.

Prior to this, proof of a negative test taken within 72 hours of the event will suffice for entry.

In a statement issued on Thursday (12 August), Jay Marciano – the COO of AEG and chairman and CEO of AEG Presents – said: “We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up for us to take a real stand on vaccination status.

“Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again.”

Marciano added that while the decision may be perceived as “dramatic” by some people, the company is certain it is “the right one”.

“We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers,” he said.

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The hugely popular California music festival Coachella is one of the events that will be impacted by AEG’s new policy.

After Coachella was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the highly anticipated event will return to the desert in April 2022.

In addition to Coachella, other future events that will be implementing the policy  include Stagecoach, Firefly Music Festival, Day N Vegas, as well as The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

AEG-owned venues such as The Roxy and El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles will also be be enforcing the new measures.

As reported by The LA Times, AEG’s main rival in the sector, Live Nation, is yet to announce a similar policy.

It was recently revealed that health officials in Chicago have linked 203 cases of Covid-19 to the Lollapalooza music festival.

Lollapalooza drew 385,000 people during its four-day run between 29 July – 2 August.

The Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr Allison Arwady said the incident was not a sign of a superspreader event during a news conference. So far no deaths or hospitalisations have been linked to the outbreak.

Dr Arwady estimated that more than 90 per cent of attendees were fully vaccinated, resulting in 203 cases associated with the festival, which required guests to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative test result.