Thousands Attend Israeli Music Festival Despite Country’s Lockdown

The show must go on!

At least that’s what the organizers behind the outdoor concert event at Charles Clore Park in Tel Aviv thought when they put together a live music gathering that drew 3,000 people in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The show featured well-known Israeli acts like Aviv Geffen and pop singer Rita. A bunch of tours and festivals have been canceled due to the pandemic (and some experts saying shows won’t happen until 2021_, but that didn’t dissuade anyone here.

Israel has been going through lockdown restrictions since mid-March but has slowly been easing back on the lockdown since late April.

But that still didn’t mean that concerts could go on. But this event was veiled as a “cultural protest,” which is technically allowed according to Israel’s health regulations. Initially organized to show support for crew members who’ve lost their jobs due to canceled shows, the Israeli Police and even Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai showed their support.

“This is the cry of an entire industry that needs answering,” he said onstage. “The responsibility lies first and foremost with the Israeli government and I’m appealing from here — Don’t forget the culture!”

While 3,000 people attended, they had to wear face masks and stay six feet apart from each other, but of course, that wasn’t the easiest to enforce. See the photos from the event below.