No Vaccine, No Ticket, New Jersey Concert Venues Say

NEW JERSEY — Planning to rock out at an upcoming show in New Jersey? Make sure you are vaccinated, or you some places won't let you in.

Purchased tickets will not necessarily be your ticket into the show, as multiple large and popular concert venues are implementing rules to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

One of the largest concert ticketing companies, Live Nation Entertainment, announced Friday that it would require artists and fans at its venues and festivals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or show a negative coronavirus test, a spokesperson told NBCnews.com.

The entertainment company runs PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel and BB&T Pavilion in Camden. It also hosts events at Prudential Center in Newark, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park.

"Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows, and as of October 4th we will be following the model we developed for Lollapalooza and requiring this for artists, fans and employees at Live Nation venues and festivals everywhere possible in the US," Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, told NBCnews.com.

A second large entertainment company, AEG Presents — which runs Starland Ballroom in Sayreville and hosts shows at Prudential Center and MetLife Stadium — said Thursday it will require proof of vaccination for entry into its owned and operated clubs, theaters and festivals.

AEG Presents' mandate would go into effect on Oct. 1. The date was chosen specifically to allow time for any eligible unvaccinated ticketholders and staff to get fully vaccinated. Up until Oct. 1, AEG Presents will implement a policy of showing proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 virus test taken within 72 hours of show date where permitted, according to a release by AEG Presents.

"We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status," said Jay Marciano, COO of AEG and chairman and CEO, AEG Presents. "Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again. We realize that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it's the right one."

These mandates come as the delta variant causes positive coronavirus cases to surge in the country and state.

As of Monday in New Jersey, there were 1,145 new positive coronavirus cases and four deaths associated with the virus. There have been 927,536 cases of the coronavirus and 23,975coronavirus-related deaths in New Jersey since the pandemic began in March 2020.

More information on how or where to get vaccinated is available here.

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