Leadership / 01.13.21

Spanish COVID Concert Study Results: Tested Audience, No Distancing, No Infections

Access Staff

Pollstar (01/08/21) Gottfried, Gideon

A study in Spain showed that no COVID infections could be traced back to a live concert where all audience members had undergone testing earlier. This confirmed the theory that a live concert performed under safe conditions would not elevate the risk of COVID-19 infections. The concert transpired Dec. 12 at the Sala Apolo in Barcelona, with 1,047 participants initially enrolled. All subjects underwent a same-day entry screening with a negative COVID-19 antigen test conducted in nasopharyngeal swabs by healthcare staff. None of the 463 participants who attended the concert were infected with COVID-19, while two of 496 participants in the non-attending control cohort were infected. Additional measures deployed included a limited outdoor space for smoking within the venue, with the number of people smoking at any given time strictly controlled. A certified N95 cloth mask also was given to every participant at the venue entrance, and face covering was mandatory during the entire event, but no physical distancing was required in the concert hall. "Attending a live music concert staged with a series of security measures that included a negative antigen test for COVID-19 done on the same day, was not associated with an increase in COVID-19 infections," the authors concluded, adding that "hopefully this data will pave the way to save live concerts during the COVID pandemic."

Read the full story from Pollstar. 

Tags: Music , News , Venues , COVID-19 , Coronavirus