AEG, concert promoter for Coachella and more, has announced that all its gigs from October onwards will only be open to fully vaccinated fans.

From October 1, all fans and staff at AEG gigs will only be admitted if they have had both COVID-19 jabs, with the date put in place “to allow time for any eligible unvaccinated ticketholders and staff to reach fully vaccinated status should they choose to do so.”

“We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status,” AEG’s CEO Jay Marciano said in a statement. “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 realise that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers.”

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Marciano added: “Our hope is that our pro-active stance encourages people to do the right thing and get vaccinated. I think everyone can agree that we don’t want concerts to go away again, and this is the best way to keep that from happening.”

This week, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit announced that they had implemented their own vaccine policy to all shows on their US tour, requiring proof that fans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or have tested negative for the virus within the past three days.

One venue in Houston, Texas subsequently announced that its Isbell date, originally scheduled for last night (August 11), would be cancelled. Isbell’s label Southeastern Records made the announcement on Twitter, claiming that the venue was “not willing to comply” with the band’s policy.

Live Nation previously announced last week (August 6) that it will allow its artists to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to be able to perform a Live Nation show. Other artists that have enacted their own similar policy include Foo Fighters and Japanese Breakfast.