U.K.'s First Socially Distanced Concert Should be an Example for Current Music Entertainment

By Isabel Hahn

Orange County School of Arts

The Coronavirus pandemic has led many musical artists and venues to begin thinking of unconventional ways to continue providing musical entertainment to the public. The Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle, England, seems to be thinking outside of the box—or rather, thinking inside quarantine friendly platforms.

On August 11, the Virgin Money Unity Arena hosted what could be called as the country’s first socially distanced music concert. Around 2,500 British music fans went to Gosforth Park in Newcastle to see singer-songwriter Sam Fender to perform. 

What made this show so unique were the 500 metal platforms spread across the open lawn, each spaced around two meters apart and fitting up to five people. The platforms were also apparently equipped with a table, chairs, and even a fridge. The position and angle of each platform were taken into consideration, and the setup allowed all platforms to have a clear view of the stage. 

SSD Concerts, a UK live events promoter, gave out a statement that a parking and queuing system had been organized to ensure audience safety. In addition, multiple hand-sanitizer stations were placed throughout the arena and entry times were staggered to limit unnecessary social contact as much as possible. 

According to public statements on social media, this experimental concert design seemed to be a great success. Some have even said that they actually prefer the idea of socially distanced shows more than the ‘normal’ thing. 

However, although the Newcastle show offers a spark of hope for the music industry and the status of the pandemic, there has also been signs of significant regression. A stark contrast from the Newcastle show, thousands of unmasked people crowded the Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 10th for the band SmashMouth’s performance during the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. 

Videos from said concert showed crowds singing without masks and not practicing social distancing guidelines. The audience could be heard chanting “F*** that Covid s***” and preaching about being free from the pandemic. This event has been one of the largest to be held in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, and it certainly is not helping the constant rise of the country’s Coronavirus cases. 

It is clear by now that clubs and typical concerts and raves are not going to be coming back anytime soon. People need to understand that if they want the fun social life that they used to have, responsibility must be taken. A normal life will not be returning anytime soon if events like the Sturgis SmashMouth concert continue. 

Whether it be regarding public parks, gyms, or schools, we should all be approaching the pandemic like the Newcastle concert—with caution. As seen in the socially distanced live show, it is evident that it is possible to have fun and be productive while still being considerate to the health and wellbeing of the general public.