Operators of the Fort Smith, Arkansas venue TempleLive have postponed the “socially distant” concert that they were planning to hold tomorrow (May 15). They made the announcement at a press conference at the venue. The decision comes after the Arkansas Department of Health issued a cease-and-desist order to TempleLive and stripped the venue of its alcohol license.
TempleLive operators said that they have applied to move the concert, headlined by Bishop Gunn frontman Travis McCready, to May 18, in compliance with Governor Asa Hutchinson’s directive that indoor venues cannot open until that date.
TempleLive’s initial plan to host the concert includes reducing the venue’s 1,100-person maximum capacity to 229 seats, separated into “fan pods,” which are rows of 2-12 tickets sold in groups at least six feet apart, with the intention of isolating separate groups of people. Attendees will be required to have their temperature taken upon entry and wear face masks, with the bathrooms limited 10 people at a time.
The governor’s directive also limits audience sizes at indoor venues to 50 people. During the press conference, a TempleLive operator indicated that they are seeking approval to have more than 50 attendees at the Travis McCready show.
Read “Is There a Safe Way to Throw Socially Distanced Shows?” on the Pitch.