Ticketmaster Preps Plans to Verify Concertgoers’ COVID-19 and Vaccination Statuses

Live music — at least the way we remember going to gigs in the “before” time — might be even closer to coming back than initially thought.

After Pfizer announced that early results for a new COVID-19 vaccine presented a 90% efficacy rate during its first set of trials earlier this week, Ticketmaster began working on a safety plan that would use smartphones. The phones would be used to whether verify concertgoers were vaccinated or had tested negative for COVID-19 over the previous 72 hours, Billboard reported.

“In order for live events to return, technology and science are going to play huge roles in establishing integrated protocols so that fans, artists, and employees feel safe returning to venues,” says Marianne Herman, co-founder and principal reBUILD20, told Billboard. ReBUILD20 is a company that helps entertainment and live events organizers with their coronavirus strategies.

Herman added, “Integrating ticketing platforms with the guests’ verified testing results is one key way to reimagine how we’re going to get fans back to live events. The experience of attending live events will look completely different, but innovation married with consistent implementation will provide a framework to get the live sports and event industry back to work.”

So how would it work?

After buying a ticket, attendees would need to verify if they’ve been vaccinated or have received a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken 24 to 72 hours before the show. The actual time frame will be dependent on “regional health authorities.”

After taking the COVID-19 test, the attendee would then tell the lab to send the results to a third-party health pass company like LEAR Health Pass or IBM’s Digital Health Pass. Negative results will be sent to Ticketmaster for credentials to attend the show. If the results are positive or a test wasn’t taken, the venue won’t let you attend.

There are many details that Ticketmaster still needs to figure out, including dealing with issues like the safety and security of concertgoers’ medical records.

As the race to find a viable COVID-19 vaccine, as well as COVID-19 safety protocols, remain ever-changing, so stay tuned for updates. More information about how the global pandemic has affected the music and live industries is available here.