A promoter in Wisconsin announced the Herd Immunity Fest, a three-day outdoor event featuring 15 bands to take place in July with a live crowd. It's he first large-scale event of its kind since the coronavirus lockdown began.

The event features rockers Static-X (best known for their 1999 debut album, Wisconsin Death Trip), Nonpoint and Dope, along with AC/DC and Metallica tribute bands. The concert will take place at the Q & Z Expo Center in Ringle from July16 to 18.

More than 2.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the U.S., with the figure continuing to rise by around 700 a day. A total of 123,484 deaths have currently been recorded, with 1.02 million recoveries. The State Court of Wisconsin threw out the lockdown legislation last month after a political dispute, leaving counties to install their own rules, though some have not done so.

"My first thought was, ‘Okay, we can all do two weeks, then it went on and on,'” the Herd Immunity Fest promoter said in a Facebook statement. “I started to worry about people not only for this COVID, but mental, physical, financial. As humans we need other human contact.”

The statement noted that "music in itself is great, but the livestreams, as I am sure you all know, is just not the same. … So, it is our honor to bring you this mini-fest. Let’s make it a fun, safe weekend, and let’s be kind to each other. Spread the word by sharing the event and invite your friends.” Further details are available here.

Meanwhile, an arena in Germany reopened with a capacity of just 895, with five percent of its usual 20,000 seats available for purchase. The Lanxess Arena in Cologne will run events under the German Arena Now program, with groups of seats available to block-buy and space between each group – a similar setup to the “fan pod” concert held in Arkansas in May. Most of its major upcoming events, including a planned visit by Queen + Adam Lambert this week, have been rescheduled for 2021.

“Arena Now is about preserving people’s passion for events and giving the artists a platform through which they can finally perform in front of a live audience,” arena operator Stefan Locher told IQ.

He noted that there was “no economic component” for the venue or its promoters. “For the future, other concepts must be developed that are economically responsible for all parties," he said.

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