How Music Festivals Are Moving Forward Despite Delta

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It’s Friday.

Weather: Today will be mostly cloudy with a high in the mid-80s. The weekend is looking wet, with showers and then a chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and a chance of showers on Sunday.

Alternate-side parking: In effect until Sept. 6 (Labor Day).

Credit…Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Thousands of New Yorkers will descend upon the Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday for the “We Love NYC Homecoming Concert.” The scene will probably resemble those from a prepandemic time: large and tightly packed audiences, crowd surfing, no social distancing. The concert is the next big show to hit New York City despite the increase in Covid-19 cases.

In an effort to get as many New Yorkers vaccinated as possible, the Homecoming Week concerts, including the big show at Central Park, are only open to those who are vaccinated and those who have medical exemptions from vaccination.

The vaccination requirements are slightly different from the ones that other music festivals in the city are implementing.

Read more about how the concert industry is handling shows during a time of the Delta variant.

What Are the Guidelines?

To enter the Great Lawn show, attendees must have at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine if they are 12 years old and older. Anyone younger than 12 must wear a mask and be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Since the concert is outdoors, masks will not be required for anyone else.

Attendees must provide proof of vaccination in the form of a physical vaccination card, photo of a vaccination card, New York City Covid Safe App or a New York State Excelsior Pass. Global Citizen Live, on Sept. 25, has the same requirements.

Other festivals have slightly different requirements.

For the Governors Ball, scheduled for Sept. 24-26, full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of each day you attend will be required. The Lights On Festival, at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in late October, has the same requirements, plus the option of a negative antigen test within six hours of the event.

Festivals Without Precautions

To the frustration of some concertgoers, a few festivals haven’t laid out guidelines on vaccinations and tests.

In the comment section of Electric Zoo Festivals’ Instagram page, people who bought tickets noted that they haven’t received any update on whether or not the festival will require proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 tests. A few people have even sold their tickets because of the lack of communication.

Rolling Loud’s music festival is headed to Citi Field from Oct. 28-30, and it appears it will not implement any guidelines. In response to someone’s noting the rise of Delta variant cases, the festival’s official Twitter account replied, “Go get vaccinated then.” When another person said they were no longer attending because their friends refuse to get the vaccine, the account said, “who said they have to be vaccinated.”

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Want more news? Check out our full coverage.

The Mini Crossword: Here is today’s puzzle.

What we’re reading

In a move that could further revitalize the arts scene in New York City, the Apollo Theater has reopened with a concert. [New York Daily News]

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who was taken to the hospital in a cab on Wednesday. [ New York Post]

For a second year in a row, the West Indian Day Parade, which features elaborate costumes, floats and music, has been canceled. [Gothamist]

And finally: Your social weekend

The Times’s Melissa Guerrero writes:

While people are still connecting through virtual events and programs, with the summer season here and more people getting vaccinated, venues and organizations are holding in-person events. Here are suggestions for maintaining a New York social life this weekend:

In-person: “Roots/Anchors” exhibit

On Saturday at noon in the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor in Staten Island, celebrate the opening of the “Roots/Anchors” exhibit.

Admission is free on opening day. For more info, visit the event page.

In-person: 29th Annual Jazz at the Mansion

Start the weekend with classic jazz performances outdoors on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Morris-Jumel Mansionin Manhattan.

R.S.V.P. on the event page.

Virtual: Artist talk with Joshua Goode

On Saturday at 6:30 p.m., join the artist Joshua Goode for an online talk and Q. and A. about the process and inspiration behind his statues, “Ancient Rhoman Statue of Winged Figure” and “Ancient Rhoman Votive Statue.”

Register for free on the event page.

It’s Friday — spread your wings.

Metropolitan Diary: Tap steps

Dear Diary:

It was winter in Manhattan. I walked from my day job at a law firm to the stage door of a Broadway theater, tap shoes in hand, to join the line of hundreds of women attending an open call for “42nd Street.”

I had tried out five years before but had been eliminated in the first few minutes because I wasn’t precise enough in my tap sounds. I’d been practicing ever since.

I made it through the first lineup and the execution of two critical tap steps that were simple but still an excellent measure of a tapper’s abilities. I ran out to find a phone booth to call the law firm to say I wouldn’t be back that day.

Later, at dusk, I stepped out into a gentle snow, shaking my head and laughing to myself.

After singing and reading, I had made it to the last five women, only to find out that there had been a misprint in the advertised call. Only women 5-foot-7 or taller would be considered. I am 5-foot-4. The casting director said the costumes were valued at $500,000. Talent took second place.

I tasted the snow on my tongue, and my smile got even bigger. I swung my tap shoes as I headed to the subway. I would never forget standing at the apex of the empty stage, chest high, arms extended, and walking toward the rows of empty seats in perfect time with the pianist playing just for me.

— Alexana Ryer

Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Read more Metropolitan Diary here.

New York Today is published weekdays around 6 a.m. Sign up here to get it by email. You can also find it at nytoday.com.