The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down live events abruptly and left ravers with cancelled plans. It was predicted that live events may not return until fall or even 2021. However, Arkansas seems to have a plan of their own. On Monday, the governor, Asa Hutchinson, announced that indoor venues could resume live shows as of May 18 and listed specific guidelines.
A venue in Fort Smith, Arkansas booked Travis McCready, the frontman of Bishop Gunn for a show on May 15th. According to Ticketmaster’s event page for McCready’s show, the 1,100 capacity venue has been reduced by 80% to 229.
Face masks will be a requirement for all attendees, with masks for purchase at the venue as well. The attendees are at least six feet apart to ensure the separation of people who haven’t been social distancing together. In addition, there will be a 10-person limit for the bathroom, which will be actively wiped down along with the other touch points at the venue by the staff.
Prior to the event, the venue will be sanitized via fog sprayers. Then, as precaution and a measure of safety, fans will have their temperature taken when they arrive. Per CDC guidelines, there will be one way walk-ways in the theater that’s overlooked and controlled by employees on site.
The efforts of the venue to create a safe environment for the Travis McCready show didn’t align with the Arkansas governor’s timeline and guidelines. The venue hasn’t addressed the discrepancies but confirmed with Billboard that the show will take place on May 15th.