The Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle was the first venue to be built solely for the purpose of being the home of socially distanced shows. After indie rock phenomenon Sam Fender opened the venue two nights in a row earlier this month, the general public reacted quite positive to the new arena. So it’s no surprise that the organisers added some more shows to the line-up, with, of course, new artists.
The newest additions to the gig calendar at Newcastle Racecourse include Frank Turner, with support from Jess Guise, taking place on the 7th September, as well as the names of Jack Savoretti (September 18) and Lighthouse Family (September 19). The venue provides music fans from the North East with a safe gig experience, as the audience is watching the stage from individual platforms that are all located two meters apart from one another.
Organiser Steve Davis is really happy about how successful the new venue turned out to be. “We are delighted to add further shows to what has been an amazing and uplifting project for the North East’s music industry”, he told NME. “The new additions add further quality to what is already an amazing line-up of talent.”
ACTUAL SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT!
Monday 7th September, Newcastle Unity Arena. Duo show (me and Matt), support from @JessGuise, fully socially distanced. Tickets available now:https://t.co/Xp2cKQH0UC pic.twitter.com/e2tIvBhiub
— Frank Turner (@frankturner) August 24, 2020
“It’s amazing to see show after show customers are complying with the guidelines and enjoying this safe outdoor arena. We hope to return to normal as soon as possible but for now, we offer the best alternative in the world to a live gig experience.” Unlike the normal concerts that we’re used to, moshpits and crowd surfing are obviously off limits. However, the Virgin Money Unity Arena organisers are trying to make the new experience as enjoyable as possible, and therefore came up with a system that allows the audience to pre-order drinks and food on the venue’s website.
Though that way you won’t be able to meet a nice stranger at the bar, and though there’s a one-way system for the toilets to keep contact at a bare minimum, this is a way to enjoy live music whilst living through a worldwide pandemic. And with the line-up gaining more and more artists and dates, you might as well get to enjoy your favourite artist or band at a unique concert experience soon.
