Some good news, finally, for the live music industry! This pandemic-stricken period has seen its first official relaxation of social distancing measures for indoor gigs & events. France has approved the occurrence of such gigs with less than 5,000 in attendance. Consequently, it becomes the first big live music market to support the arrival of events and live shows without distancing guidelines.
I say to the French people, go to the cinema, go to the theatre – you don’t risk anything.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex
This approval was sanctioned by none other than the French Prime Minister Jean Castex. In a recent interview with France Inter, Castex had given this stamp of consent for such events and gigs. Red zones where cases continue to surge still remain immune to this ruling. These include cities like Lyon, the capital city of Paris, the Bouches-du-Rhône and Gironde areas which spans Marseille and Bordeaux respectively.
Masks are mandatory at all times at these events. This compulsion would be applicable to all the night clubs, concerts, cinemas and theaters hosting such events. Roselyne Bachelot, the French culture minister, confirmed these newly formulated guidelines on Twitter. She also admitted the possibility of the rules being tightened more in the stipulated red-zones. Events of a higher magnitude involving more than 5000 remain barred till November.