Pollstar (12/18/20) Pittman, Sarah

With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic finally on the horizon, agents and promoters are preparing for the resurgence of live music festivals. The Bonnaroo and Lockn' fests have already set dates for the third quarter of 2021, while events like Outside Lands, Osheaga and Riot Fest announced late summer and early fall lineups that include artists like Foo Fighters, Cardi B, and Post Malone. Abroad, festivals including the U.K.'s Reading and Leeds, Finland's Lollapalooza Stockholm, Spain's Primavera, and Australia's Splendour In The Grass have announced their own dates and lineups. It remains uncertain as to precisely when festivals will return, with the coronavirus still spreading across the U.S. and months to go before adult vaccinations kick into high gear. "What we really need is for the [COVID] numbers to start going down," explained ICM Partners festival agent Kyle Kernohan. "The vaccine is great but we need to start seeing these graphs heading in a downward direction. For the sake of our sanity and planning as if we're going to be in a good place, we're all pushing forward until told otherwise." Even when festivals do come back, they are expected to deploy COVID-safe guidelines like cashless transactions and mask wearing.

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