People all over the world love music concerts and are looking forward to witnessing live band concerts and tours again. Outdoor concerts and tours were stopped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected many fans. With the ongoing vaccination and gradual opening of venues in many parts of the world, there is optimism for fun band concert tours in 2021 or even 2022.
When bands themselves will be able to go back to concert tours is still uncertain and is going to be rather volatile depending on the region or the country. Long-distance tours crossing states or different countries may seem out of reach at the moment, while localized tours may return faster. As is often the case in the music industry, some bands are likely to be itching to hit the road again, while others may well be more measured in their approach.
When bands and touring crews start arranging concert tours due to the ongoing pandemic, safety would be the primary concern for the bands, their crews, the venues, and everyone in between. Some mitigation measures such as testing, reducing the number of people allowed in a facility, social distancing, wearing of masks, and increased sanitation measures can reduce COVID-19 transmission. Some bands may only do smaller tours of open-air venues only if permitted to depending on the country. The specifics of what measures and how effective they will be will depend on the vaccination and infection levels in the places a tour goes to.
Indications are that concerts are set to resume and not likely to be an abrupt rise to the previous festivity of packed arenas and stadiums. Understanding the nature of closures, regional tours of clubs, theaters, and other outdoor venues appear the most probable to come back first. Some larger acts may consider using tours with assigned seating which allows the fans to be close but not touching each other as is the case with the general floor. That means crowds will be spread out, seats will be distanced, and there will likely be other measures in place, but it should still feel lively and exciting.
When it comes to mass-scale tours involving many states or countries, it becomes challenging to coordinate the proper implementation of safety measures and protocols. The planning lead times necessary to arrange these massive tours also mean that most, if not all, would not commence before 2022. However, music lovers can remain optimistic that some restricted end-of-year, starting early 2022 tours go ahead in some areas.
Unlike many other forms of entertainment that can be easily substituted or consumed online, people still crave live shows, especially after a year with minimal concerts. Both bands and fans have been anticipating when it will be safe and feasible to have concert tours again. Music is always a source of happiness and motivation when things are bad so bands touring will be a plus for life after COVID. The live music connections have been sorely missed.
Some artists are likely to go for regional touring before other bands when safety measures are in place in certain areas of the country. Local rock bands could probably attract average audiences for club tours if they are well-favored in specific regions. The jam band scene is also another area of the industry with strong loyal core audiences which makes small-scale touring possible. It also makes sense that newer bands that are yet to establish themselves in the club and theater scene will likely tour again sooner.
At the same time, pop stars and legacy acts, who used to perform at giant venues and rely on spectacular light shows, might have a problem with recreating a similar experience due to the expected restrictions on indoor attendance. Yet these top-tier artists can come up with innovative strategies for concerts as the environment changes. While small theatre performances may be experienced by fans in between the grand tours, fans may also be offered performances by top artists.
There is also the indication that outdoor concerts are likely to resume earlier than fully indoor performances due to the reduced likelihood of virus spread in the open air. Bands accustomed to festivals look well-suited to schedule concerts in parks, or even drive-in theaters until crowd assembly is legal again. Some creative arrangements of outdoor stages and the audience can still enable music festivals in a limited manner in the later part of 2021.
Australia and New Zealand have already given positive outcomes when concerts could be resumed with proper planning and precautions. Most notably, Australian band Jetty Road warmed up the crowd with a mini tour across small venues back in the fall of 2020. The US state of Florida also held the 130-band Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam festival in June 2021 but at a limited capacity. These successes provide examples for bands in other countries as domestic vaccination rates rise.
Well, when can music lovers go out again and have the opportunity to listen to a favorite band? More information will be understood in the next 6 to 12 months as the vaccine rollouts continue, and countries try to ease restrictions gradually if the indicators are favorable. Fans may have to be ready for the idea that concerts may not be the same for some time, and performers may be wearing masks, or there will be space between the seats. Likewise, bands and crews must operate within safety measures and restrictions on specific areas. However, the sweet moment of fans and bands getting back together with the help of live music – yes, it will come soon.
