Just when the U.S. looked like it was finally emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, a combination of the highly transmissible delta variant and the reluctance of many people to get vaccinated now threatens to force the country back into lockdown.
In April, it looked like music venues would open again for live performances this summer. But a month later, Justin Bieber rescheduled the start of his tour from June 2 until Feb. 22, 2022.
JoJo Siwa then canceled her July tour dates and now plans to start her tour on Jan. 13.
Near me, Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., hopes to start holding concerts again beginning Aug. 31 with the Eagles. Artists with September dates at the arena include Marc Anthony, Harry Styles, Celine Dion and Tame Impala.
The outdoor venue Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia, had planned to welcome back throngs of music fans in July. But scheduled concerts by Black Crowes, Megadeth, Backstreet Boys, Matchbox Twenty and the Doobie Brothers were canceled or postponed.
Country star Luke Bryan is braving the market with a concert planned for July 17 at Jiffy Lube Live. Jimmy Buffett plans to follow at the venue with a show set for Aug. 7. A few more acts such as Maroon 5 and Jonas Brothers have scheduled concerts in September and October at the amphitheater. But it’s not the usual summer glut of live shows.
Elsewhere, Summerfest, described as the largest music festival in the U.S., is returning for three weekends starting Sept. 2 and ending on Sept. 18 in Milwaukee. Headliners include Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Twenty One Pilots, Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. The 2020 Summerfest was canceled because of the pandemic.
There’s no guarantee that Covid won’t impact those events.
A music festival in the Netherlands shocked officials after 1,000 coronavirus infections were linked to the event despite it requiring a “test for entry,” CNBC reported. The Verknipt outdoor festival, which took place in Utrecht in early July, was attended by 20,000 people over two days.
Related articles:
The reopening of the economy can’t come soon enough for E3 (June 19, 2021)
Justin Bieber, Burning Man give up on 2021 (May 1, 2021)
Return of live events post Covid crisis still in question (April 17, 2021)
How the conference industry sees the reopening of the economy post-Covid (April 14, 2021)
Photo: Washington City Paper with Covid-19 headline on a bench at the Virginia Square Metro station in Washington, D.C., in April 2020. (Photo by dmbosstone via Creative Commons)
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