NYC Indoor Music Venues Will Require Proof of COVID Vaccination

Rise Against headlined the reopening night at the Rooftop at Pier 17 on July 30; beginning August 16, unvaccinated music fans will be able to attend concerts only if they are staged outdoors. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today during a media advisory that, starting in two weeks, New Yorkers and visitors will need to show proof of COVID vaccination to engage in numerous congregate activities indoors. Copying policies implemented in France and Italy, New York City will become the first major city in the United States where vaccinations will be required for all wishing to dine in an indoor restaurant, drink at a bar, exercise at a gym, or attend a live performance, for example. The municipal government will not mandate proof of vaccination for outdoor bars, restaurants, concert venues or gymnasiums.

So far, proof of vaccination is the only restriction that the municipal government will impose. Unlike in the past, social distancing, capacity limits and curfews will not be mandated on indoor businesses. Stricter protocols like lockdowns are not being considered.

De Blasio's proposed policy has been spoken but has not yet been published. The mayor's office will issue the regulations when they become mandatory procedure on August 16. At that time, a four-week honor-code period will begin, allowing businesses to acclimate and the city to make adjustments. Inspections and enforcement are scheduled to begin on September 13.

North Mississippi Allstars at City Winery NYC on July 30; all City Winery franchises across the nation have implemented a vaccination-only policy. 

Brianna Musco at Mercury Lounge on July 24; the venue has remained a vaccination-only venue since reopening

"Today, I announce a new approach, which we're calling the Key to NYC Pass," said the mayor. "The key to New York City – when you hear those words, I want you to imagine the notion that because someone's vaccinated, they can do all the amazing things that are available in this city. This is a miraculous place, literally full of wonders. And, if you're vaccinated, all that's going to open up to you. You'll have the key. You can open the door.

"But, if you're unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things. That's the point we're trying to get across. It's time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good and full and healthy life.

"The Key to NYC Pass will be a first-in-the-nation approach. It will require vaccination for workers and customers in indoor dining, in indoor fitness facilities, indoor entertainment facilities. This is going to be a requirement. The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you're vaccinated, at least one dose. The same for folks in terms of work, they'll need at least one dose.

"This is crucial because we know that this will encourage a lot more vaccination. We've seen it already. We've seen the impact of the mandate we put in place for city workers already starting to move people to vaccination. We've obviously seen the positive impact of incentive as well. The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time. If we're going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now. And that means getting vaccinated right now."

Arturo O'Farrill (left) and his Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble were scheduled to performed a free lunchtime concerts outdoors at Abe Lebewohl Park on July 29. Due to a forecast of rain, the concert was moved indoors into St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, with socially-distant seating. In the future, will guests who move indoors with the music need to present proof of vaccination?

Hardships Are Anticipated within the Live Music Industry

Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre implemented a vaccination-only admission policy upon reopening this spring. Several downtown music venues, including Arlene's Grocery, City Winery NYC, Mercury Lounge, Rockwood Music Hall and Terra Blues, implemented a similar policy upon reopening this spring. Enforcement waned at the smaller venues as state regulations relaxed. In August, however, these and all other venues will require proof of vaccination not only from customers, but also from performers and staff. City Winery, a forerunner in the vax-only movement since 2020, predated the mayor's announcement and went even further, announcing last week in an open letter that, starting yesterday, the franchise would implement a vaccination-only or negative test policy at all of its 12 venues in eight cities.

The unvaccinated will be unwelcome even at some outdoor events, like the five NYC Homecoming Week that the city is sponsoring in August. Unless the venues themselves declare otherwise, unvaccinated music fans will be limited to attending large outdoor concerts at Citi Field and Forest Hills Stadium as well as mid-sized park series at SummerStage Central Park and the Celebrate Brooklyn shows in Prospect Park. Many smaller venues like the Anyway Café, Baby Brasa, Café Wha?, Groove, Marshall Stack and Rue-B have viewing areas outside.

Richie Cannata (right) has resumed his Monday Night Jam series at the Bitter End; the venue has tried vaccination-only shows and preferred seating for vaccinated ticketholders, but soon will have to mandate vaccinations of everyone at every show

Christopher Paul Stelling at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, on July 24; the venue may return to being a vaccination-only room

The most problematic dilemma involves dozens of larger music venues which were to re-enter the live music circuit in August and September and have already sold hundreds of tickets to unvaccinated customers. These venues include Barclays Center, the Bowery Ballroom, the Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn Made, Brooklyn Steel, the Gramercy Theatre, Irving Plaza, Madison Square Garden, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Terminal 5, Warsaw and Webster Hall, among many others. All of these venues booked and are selling tickets for concerts into 2022.

The new vaccination-only mandate will necessitate a reassessment by concert promoters and venue operators regarding ticket sales for future bookings. Promoters sold tickets to forthcoming events without being able to inform the ticket holders that they must be vaccinated to gain entry. As new shows are booked and advance tickets are placed on sale, will the promoters need to announce that only vaccinated ticket holders may be admitted into the shows?

Unvaccinated musicians will be largely our of work in New York City. If the talent buyers and booking agents follow the new municipal regulations, unvaccinated musicians will be able to perform outdoor venues only within the city limits. Local musicians will have to seek additional gigs in the suburban communities rather than in the city.

Liv Warfield at Café Wha? indoors on July 28; patrons will have to be vaccinated to enter the indoor performance space

Gene Taylor at the Café Wha? outside on July 21; the unvaccinated will not be able to enter the main room downstairs but will be able to enjoy dinner and music in the curbside shed

Current staff within the hospitality industry will need to be vaccinated in order to keep their jobs. This will happen at a time when many bars, restaurants and concert venue managers presently report an ongoing shortage of staff. Requiring new hires to be vaccinated will further limit the available pool of employees.

“Mandating vaccine requirements for restaurant and bar employees and customers to work and dine indoors is a very difficult step, but ultimately may prove an essential move to protecting public health and ensuring that New York City does not revert to restrictions and shut down orders that would again absolutely devastate small businesses that have not yet recovered from the pandemic," posted Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, a restaurant group.

Bikini Carwash at the Parkside Lounge on July 24; the venue's final concert before the lockdown in March 2020 was a superspreader event because no one knew yet about presentative measures like masks and social distancing

"Not everyone's going to agree with this, I understand that, but, for so many people, this is going to be the lifesaving act – that we're putting a mandate in place," concluded the mayor. "It's going to guarantee a much higher level of vaccination in this city, and that is the key to protecting people and the key to our recovery. That's why it's the Key to NYC. The Key to NYC pass opens a lot of doors and we need it.

"We'll be issuing a Mayoral Executive Order and a Health Commissioner's Order – those are the legal tools necessary to implement this approach. And we know that this is what's going to turn the tide. And we also know that people are going to get a really clear message – if you want to participate in our society fully, you’ve got to get vaccinated. You’ve got to get vaccinated. It's time.

"All the answers, all the information's out there. You've seen over 160 million Americans get vaccinated safely. You've seen it make the difference. The only reason we're having the recovery is vaccination. So, it's time. And this is going to send that message clearly. And the Key to NYC Pass, this is an easy approach, because to confirm vaccination all you need is your vaccination card or the NYC COVID SAFE app, or the Excelsior app from the state – any of those will do. So, it's simple. Just show it and you're in."

Xaxa at Groove on July 13 played to audiences inside and outside; starting soon, the vaccinated will be able to enter the restaurant but the unvaccinated will have to enjoy the performances from the curbside shed

Palace Hound at Arlene's Grocery on July 29; the unvaccinated will be unable to visit the venue but can watch live pay-per-view livestreams of its concerts almost nightly

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's  August 2021 calendar.