It will soon be one year since this global pandemic began in France. Our morale and habits took a hit. Many sectors have been heavily impacted such as restaurants, coffee shops and bars which receive State aid. However, places such as nightclubs do not perceive any and are more and more numerous to close their doors in France.
They too have been extinct for a year already, what happened to concerts and festivals? These places of encounter, joy, sharing around a common passion: that of music. In 2020, all the festivals were cancelled and postponed to 2021, however, it will be impossible to organize them in the same way during the years to follow. Because of the continuing pandemic and the risk of contamination if not everyone is vaccinated by then, measures and precautions will have to be taken to reduce risks as possible. This is what the organizers have already thought about! I will now present some innovations thought by these innovation geniuses who want to make the dose of fun that the summer lost!
First, we head to the United States in Oklahoma City, where on January 22, 2021, a concert by an American rock band Flaming Lips took place that revolutionized the event industry. Indeed, all the participants as well as the members of the group were locked in giant plastic bubbles! No more problems of social distancing and contamination since each person is in his bubble (accommodating up to 3 people) and can enjoy the concert. Of course, these people arrived masked and took their temperature before returning and at the end of the concert the bubbles were well disinfected. Isn’t this a great idea to be able to participate to a concert in real and not virtual? We’ll look at it in the future, but I don’t think it’s going to be applicable at a festival level— that’s why we will immediately see a solution to remedy this!
It is now in the United Kingdom that we meet. Indeed, it was here that the first Covid Free festival took place, where 2,500 people gathered on the lawn of Gosforth park in Newcastle. But what is the innovation that allowed them to benefit festival-goers? Simply spaces provided by small groups with long distances, such as VIP squares on a little stage (according to their situation in the park) individualized and delimited by barriers. No travel was allowed to fetch food or drinks, and the entire bar was moved through the festival staff who came to supply them. The initiative taken by the organization of the festival was praised on the social networks by many thanks from the participants who praised the innovation and the responsiveness of the team to find a solution rather than simply cancel the festival.
How the world of events never ceases to amaze us, and even more so at a time when everyone is forced to redouble their ingenuity in order to transform the already existing events into an event that can be carried out as a pandemic. That is why it takes a lot of research and time to assess situations in the best possible way and to do so in accordance with existing laws and regulations. These two examples show us that it is possible to party and enjoy while respecting the rules and keeping a smile on your face.
