Since the pandemic, many brands have had to think outside the box and find ways to safely execute events in light of covid. Scientists say that when given the opportunity, choosing to be outside is safer than being inside. And so with that information, brands have begun to create more and more outdoor and drive-in events as they can be a safer way to bring people together and maintain social distance. Take Keith Urban and his team for example.
Keith Urban is one of the first major artists to do a drive-in concert. Country star Keith Urban performed an unannounced show back in May of 2020 at Stardust Drive-In, an outdoor cinema in Watertown, Tennessee. He played for about 200 front line workers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, like doctors, nurses, and emergency technicians. Attendees were all in their cars listening to Urban play for about an hour. Urban stated he wanted to perform for them to, “ say thanks to the healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line for us every day.”
After the concert, Keith went on The Today Show and described the concert as a test run for other artists. Urban said, “We didn’t know what to expect. So to some extent, from a performance standpoint, it was a bit of a proof-of-concept show to figure out what works and what doesn’t. But we also wanted to take the opportunity to not only do the first one but do it for the health care workers.” Other artists have now followed suit and are producing drive-in concerts of their own.
This year, we will likely see most events being executed outdoors with all CDC guidelines in place. And that’s ok with us! As long as we can get together in a safe way, we will most certainly do what needs to be done to keep everyone safe and continue to enjoy live entertainment.