Those who are planning on seeing a live concert in New Jersey should know that COVID-19 policies vary by venue.
The Fest for Beatles Fans hasn’t been held since 2019. Its 2021 date has now also been postponed.
“We figured October in Jersey would work very easily,” says founder Mark Lapidos. “But then this variant came along and messed everything up.”
Lapidos founded the annual Beatles event in 1974, and it's been held each year in New Jersey.
It is an example of how the entertainment industry’s response to the pandemic varies widely in the Garden State. There is not a uniform public policy on proof of vaccination or masking.
This weekend's Barefoot Country Music Festival on Wildwood's beach does not require vaccination or testing, while up the shore in Asbury Park, next month's oceanfront Sea.Hear.Now music festival, does. Policies on indoor shows in New Jersey differ by venue.
Lapidos says that because the Fest for Beatles Fans is an indoor event and includes live music and mingling over a span of three days, there was no choice but to postpone it yet again.
“They wing in the lobby, hours and hours into the morning and been all day long, sitting around in a circle playing guitar. And with masks, it’s really hard to do it because it’s such a personal event,” he says.
He says that he is hoping that the new date of April 1, 2022, will allow the music to return.
The country’s two largest concert promoters, AEG and Live Nation, which operate or promote shows at numerous New Jersey venues, have both announced they will mandate proof of vaccination to attend events by October.