The Flaming Lips’ concert was groundbreaking. There are lots of ways to spin it – for example, you could take your cues from open air cinema and host a drive-in concert or create a socially-distanced festival with individual seating areas formed of pods and platforms. To really stand out, find a way to make your event unique. Dare to be differentĪlthough The Flaming Lips’ performance is paving the way for socially-distanced concerts, space bubbles may not work for every event type or theme. The more issues that can be ironed out before the event, the smoother the day (or night) will be. Host a trial event with family and friends to give yourself the opportunity to work out potential issues such as spacing and staff communication. Instead of rushing into a large-scale live performance, the band started small, giving themselves time to tweak the logistics. Have a trial run (or three)Įven The Flaming Lips couldn’t steer clear of a test run. Use technology like individual speakers, too, to amplify the sound quality and overall experience for your guests. Offer attendees a variety of food and drink to buy before the event and leave their personalised package in their specific section, reducing the need for physical contact and movement around the venue. Thankfully, these atmospheric steps are easy to replicate. The likes of pre-bought drinks and Bluetooth speakers may both appear in a future Flaming Lips concert. Although people may not be able to sing and dance close together, they can still enjoy high-quality entertainment. Virtual platforms are working to bring that feeling online, but social distancing regulations have made it slightly trickier for in-person events. The buzz that comes from watching your favourite performer onstage is one of the best things about attending live gigs. Use our built-in time slot tool to help control guest flow. Halving the length of an event and hosting multiple sessions in one day may not only keep attendees a safe distance apart, but could also give you the chance to sell more tickets and increase revenue. (After all, the temperature can quickly rise inside a space bubble.) While you may not want to encase attendees in plastic, you’ll probably want to shorten the length of a live performance. The band did this to prioritise both safety and comfort. Short sessions are the way forwardĪt The Flaming Lips’ concert, attendees were given a one-hour slot after which they were asked to leave. Or consider introducing a tiered system with higher-priced tickets promising a VIP experience, like a virtual meeting with the band. To manage the additional costs, think about raising your ticket price and offering merchandise to keep attendees happy. The need to socially distance, plus creative additions like space bubbles or barriers, will further reduce venue capacity and limit the amount you can make from ticket sales. Music halls and theatres reopening may or may not be possible, depending on your local restrictions, and if spaces are open in your local area, there may already be restrictions on numbers. Communicate these to attendees beforehand so that they know exactly what to expect. You’ll also need to think about additional health and safety measures, such as temperature checks. For example, guests may need to leave the venue row by row or in small groups to avoid crowding. This may involve discussions about escorting attendees to their locations, dealing with toilet breaks, and safe exiting strategies. Don’t forget to give all staff a thorough briefing, too. Give venue staff a uniform just like The Flaming Lips did, so that they’re easily identifiable to guests. However attendees may find the new measures tricky to deal with, so you’ll need to offer plenty of help. The skills you’ve built up as an event creator will help to prepare you for the greater number of regulations that the current climate entails. So, to help you plan your own event right now, here are a few tips inspired by The Flaming Lips’ impressive show. While this particular idea is inherent to Coyne’s creative performance style, it’s provided the event space with some much-needed inspiration. Put audience members in bubbles, just like his own, and let them enjoy a socially-distanced gig. When the question of how to start playing live shows came up, Coyne’s solution was fun and innovative. He’s been doing this since long before COVID-19 – dropping to festival stages inside a giant balloon and using it to walk across the crowd. While it sounds unusual, it’s nothing new to lead singer Wayne Coyne. The Flaming Lips recently made headlines for hosting a socially-distanced concert, with both audience and band members encased in “space bubbles”.
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