It has been announced today that start up company You Check will be working with the Music Venue Trust to trail their Health Passport app with audiences in London and Bristol. According to Event Industry News, ‘the 100 Club in London and Bristol’s 250 capacity Exchange,’ or currently scheduled to be hosting the first events which use the new system. The app, which was originally created as a ticket ID system which would prevent ticket touts reselling tickets purchased in bulk for a profit by matching a photograph of the buyer to the ticket.
The app has now been adapted to include the functionality to work in combination with the government’s NHS Covid-19 app which is used to notify members of the public of their results after taking a coronavirus test, as well as informing them when they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive. What this means for concert goers and venue owners is that they may now have a system by which ticket buyers can verify their identity, proof of purchase, and show evidence of a negative covid-19 test taken within the last 48 hours and be granted access to a show which, as a result of this, should only contain people who have proved themselves to be free of the virus.
The news of these trials brings a great deal of hope to music fans across the country who saw 2020 quickly become a barren, live music free wasteland due to the coronavirus outbreak. While large events like Glastonbury have sadly now been cancelled and arena tours may look to be going the same way, this app may bring some hope for smaller venues who can use the system to ensure a small, safe covid-free gathering can occur and live music can safely begin to return. 100-200 capacity venues exist all across the UK and if these trials show that they can safely be reopened, this could mean a huge boost for the UK live music industry which has suffered so greatly throughout this pandemic.
It would be a relief too, if this news were to benefit especially these smaller venues who may not have the financial reserves of big arena owners like O2 to be able to safely keep their doors closed without running completely out of money. It is unclear yet what this will mean for the UK artists who planned to tour in 2021 but may have started to rethink their plans. Dua Lipa for example, whose tour will require large arena’s to house all of her loyal fans, may need to wait until a later date when the vaccine program has been completely rolled out and coronavirus effectively eradicated from the UK before her concerts become completely safe. Smaller artists, however, might find that they are able to begin performing shows again a little sooner than they thought.
