Here’s what the first socially-distant venue in the UK will look like
As venues remain closed and gigs remain canceled as the coronavirus pandemic continues, various other ways to hold concerts are being explored. From drive-in concerts to isolation pods, promoters are trying to find ways to safely bring back shows this year. Now, the city of Newcastle in England is getting its first socially-distant venue called the Virgin Money Unity Arena.
On Friday, SSD Concerts and Virgin Money unveiled the plans to open the U.K.’s first socially-distant venue by this summer.
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The outdoor Virgin Money Unity Arena has a 2,500 capacity and will host “several high-profile artists” that will be announced on July 7. Along with putting on concerts, the venue will host DJ sets, comedy shows and various family entertainment events. Food and drinks will be available in the venue, but guests will have to place orders in advance.
Venue guests must keep six feet apart from each other. They also have to arrive to the venue by car. The venue’s parking lot will have socially-distant parking spots. As well, the staff must wear masks at all times.
The managing director of SSD Concerts, Steve Davis, reveals that the Virgin Money Unity Arena aims to safely bring back concerts to the British public.
“We can’t be without music during these times,” he says. “So our only thought has been how can we bring music back to the British public safely and responsibly. We have been hosting loads of live sessions and DJ sets across our social media, supporting local artists and raising money for the NHS. Now, we’re taking it one step further as the U.K. slowly comes out of lockdown.”
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The venue’s layout has also been unveiled. All venue guests must stay within their own socially-distant platforms. Each row of platforms will have a dedicated section of bathrooms to help limit groups. As well, all lines for the bathrooms will have a six-foot distance rule.
We have MAJOR news. We’ve partnered with SSD Concerts on the @VMUnityArena, a totally unique, socially distanced, drive-in music festival taking place in Newcastle this August – it’s going to be epic. Check out the details by following the link below!
— Virgin Money (@VirginMoney) July 3, 2020
The Virgin Money Unity Arena is still being built. Staff members are also being heavily trained to handle all health and safety measures.
“All staff will have training in advance about the safety procedures for maintaining hygiene including hand washing, wearing gloves when serving and delivering food,” the venue’s website says.
All of the information regarding the venue is available to read here.
What do you think of the socially-distant Virgin Money Unity Arena? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
