1,000-cap. standing concerts return to Germany
A collective of German event specialists hosted some of the first standing shows in the country since the coronavirus shutdown, putting on two 960-cap. concerts in the Saxony region over the weekend.
The concerts took place in the town of Oschatz in the eastern region of Saxony, home to the cities of Leipzig and Dresden. The region, where events are currently limited to 1,000 people, is to allow events with no upper capacity limit to take place from 1 September, provided track and tracing systems are implemented.
Elsewhere in Germany, major events remain banned until the start of November.
The shows, promoted by Berlin-based Newado Entertainment and Oranienbaum’s Mö PR in conjunction with festival service supplier Major Compact Units, saw German DJ duo Gestört aber Geil and rock band Goitzche Front perform to crowds segregated into four-person, socially distanced blocks.
“Feedback from the more than 1,500 guests over the weekend was consistently positive”
The tickets were tiered, with the blocks – which consisted of two standard crowd control barriers– in the first eight rows costing more than those further back.
A one-way system was implemented to avoid contact between groups and hand sanitiser was available on entrance, as well as in the sanitary and catering areas.
Organisers reported that the “experiment” was a success, with plans to use the same format for future shows.
“Feedback from the more than 1,500 guests over the weekend was consistently positive,” say organisers. “Fans showed their gratitude for the shows on the acts’ social media channels too, viewing them as a first step towards normality.”
Newado Entertainment thanked all who attended, posting on its Facebook page: “Thanks for this evening and to all who gave us the chance to try something new.”
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