After the COVID pandemic and mass shutdowns, cities across the world are starting to open up and big events are being planned again. Everything from sporting events to music concerts to festivals are being scheduled and selling out as fast as they are being created. With each new event announced, it can be difficult to pick which event to attend based on a lot of factors.
These are some of the big events that are back and worth attending, as well as some of the factors you need to consider when choosing which ones to attend.
Deciding By Location
During the pandemic so many events went online, meaning you could tune in from anywhere in the world. While this was incredible, it also eliminated that in person experience that you cannot replicate. This means many of the events that you are interested in will be location based and require some sort of travel to attend. Determine how far you are willing to travel and what type of travel you feel safe doing before purchasing tickets.
Consider Capacity and Safety
Another important factor to consider for big events is the capacity numbers and safety factors that are being put in place. Is this going to be a full capacity event? is there the ability to maintain any level of social distancing, or will the event look like things did pre-pandemic? Are vaccinations required and will there be sanitation stations? These are all questions that you should be asking and where you need to ask yourself what you are comfortable with.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Known simply as Bonnaroo the popular music festival is returning to Tennessee from September 2nd-September 5th this year. The extensive grounds and multiple stages allow for up to eighty thousand people to attend the festival each year, and this festival is returning in full force. With over 100 musicians and bands lined up, it’s sure to be a full festival experience that long time fans have come to expect.
Garth Brooks Stadium Tour
Garth Brooks was one of the first major artists to announce a full stadium tour, and it is going to be epic. Fans of country music and people everywhere eager to attend a big event are ready to celebrate the return of stadium concerts from the sound of things. Ticket sales for this stadium tour have been impressive and convinced other artists that the fans are ready to fill the seats.
Las Vegas Raiders Games
The Raiders made a move to a new stadium in Las Vegas, and because of that fans eager to attend sporting events live have been flocking to the new field. Las Vegas has always been a destination, and the addition of the new stadium and the return of big ticket events means that everyone wants to be there in person. Thankfully, there are enough games to plan around and seats are not as expensive as other big events being scheduled.
Texas State Fair
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that is certainly true of the Texas State Fair. County and state fairs around the country are reopening, but if there is one that is worth traveling to, it is the Texas State Fair. The fair runs from September 24th to October 17th which is just as long as the fair ran for during a normal year. From carnival rides to the Giant Wheel to Big Tex, there is so much to see and do at the Fair.
Electric Daisy Carnival
Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, is billed as the biggest electronic music festival in the country. Held in Las Vegas, the notoriety and culture around the festival has grown each and every year. This year is bound to be the same, especially given the absence of the event during the pandemic. Happening in late October, this year’s event is taking place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Elton John Farewell Tour
Elton John had to put off retirement when the pandemic forced him to postpone his farewell tour. Now that things are improving Elton John’s tour schedule is filling back up and the North American tour is all everyone is talking about. Dates that were previously set in cities across the continent are being added and if there isn’t a stop nearby it is definitely worth traveling to in order to catch him on his way out.
As with last year’s cancellations, it is important to keep an eye out for last minute cancellations and postponements depending on where the concert is taking place. For now, optimism seems to be driving big events, but there is always the chance that public safety measures will mean shutting an event down without warning.