Pollstar (06/11/21) Gottfried, Gideon

Europe is taking a more cautious approach to post-pandemic reopening than the U.S. by still testing health risks posed by social gatherings, while Britain's target date for eliminating all coronavirus-related sanctions faces uncertainty. Vaccination coverage varies across countries, according to local promoters; Serbia is planning the Exit Festival Serbia for July 8-11, open to all who have been fully vaccinated, can prove the presence of antibodies or take a rapid antigen test near the festival site. Meanwhile, despite Britain's June 21 target date for lifting all restrictions on social gatherings, the final date to lift all restrictions on social gatherings has been delayed to July 19. This prompted legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to announce that he plans to open his London West End theaters on June 21 "come hell or high water." The U.K. government's Events Research Program has been holding pilots of various genres and capacities to determine if live events pose a greater risk of spreading the virus than any other activity that involves large social gatherings. News reports indicate that program-affiliated events in Liverpool had "no impact" on propagation. Other European nations have made similar findings in their own scientific experiments.

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