People from Barcelona were able to attend a 5,000 people gig as part of a coronavirus study this weekend. On Saturday 27th, this experiment took place in the floor space of Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi. 5,000 people in a 17,000-capacity arena enjoyed the act of the Spanish indie-pop band, Love of Lesbian.
Despite the restrictions, the gig was approved as a part of a pilot project between the Spanish government and venues. As the COVID situation improves, organizations are starting to look into new possibilities to apply to large events. In this precise case, the goal was to discover if utilizing rapid coronavirus testing systems could effectively prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at bigger events. On the other hand, there are many festivals, like Sónar Barcelona, which had to postpone its 27th edition.
In order to attend the show, ticket holders had to meet a few requirements. The main one was to attend a nominated testing center for a coronavirus test on Saturday. In addition, it was one of the first events which did not follow the social distance guidelines. However, guests had to wear face masks throughout the gig, but the 6 foot gap was not required. The fans loved the event as they hadn’t been to a show in so long.
Spain joins a list of European countries which are trying to work to bring large events and festivals back. Recently, Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture and Europe announced it would also try to apply a six-point plan to reopen venues.
“It is a small but important step to be able to create a perspective for the entire industry again after one year”.
Pamela Schobeß, about the pilot project
