Broadway theaters will require audiences to be fully vaccinated when venues reopen. Masks must also be worn indoors except when eating and drinking. The new policy, issued by the Broadway League Friday, will apply to all 41 Broadway theaters and be enforced through at least October.
Guests will need to be fully vaccinated with in order to attend a show and must show proof of vaccination at their time of entry into the theater with their valid ticket. Performers, backstage crew, and theater staff are also required to be vaccinated.
Exceptions are being made for children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination. However, these guests must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within six hours of the performance start time.
“As vaccination has proven the most effective way to stay healthy and reduce transmission, I’m pleased that the theatre owners have decided to implement these collective safeguards at all our Broadway houses,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement. “A uniform policy across all New York City Broadway theatres makes it simple for our audiences and should give even more confidence to our guests about how seriously Broadway is taking audience safety.”
According to the New York Times, The Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall will require audience members to be fully vaccinated and will ban children under 12 who are currently ineligible for vaccination.
The “Springsteen on Broadway” show, which opened in June, already requires its attendees to show proof of vaccination.
The new policy comes as COVID-19 cases are again spiking nationwide, driven by highly contagious delta variant.