Live music is finally back and better than ever. After concerts and live music came to an abrupt stop in March of 2020, now they’re slowly coming back with venues filling as fast as ticket sales.

To ensure a safe experience, artists are taking new precautions for their live music concerts. In addition to masks and social distancing, now vaccination or testing can also be required. While most big venues for concerts are opening back up, local live music still seems to be scarce. 

Many pop artists such as Harry Styles and Bad Bunny are touring this year. At Styles’ Oct. 8 performance at BB&T Center’s arena, concert-goers had to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test, which both artists require to be able to attend. 

Once inside the arena, Harry Styles fans walked through machine-pumped fog to their seats to view an animated intro to the tour. From Styles’ opening notes of  “Golden,” fans screeched in exhilaration. The 20,000+ fans were dotted with flashing colorful lights on the stage and in the air. Roughly 90 percent of the audience kept their masks on during the performance.

Junior Matthew Roucant has tickets to an upcoming Bad Bunny show in Miami, which will have similar safety precautions. 

“Honestly it’s a little of a bother, but I’m glad that at least the right precautions are being taken to ensure our safety as a society,” Roucant said.

Artists enforcing strict safety regulations are receiving some backlash from those who think it’s unnecessary. For example, country singer Chris Janson posted an Instagram clip saying, “We weren’t made to stay inside. I can’t watch my country die.”

 Similarly, in July, Eric Clapton declared he will not perform at venues that require vaccination proof for audiences, according to Rolling Stone. 

While not everyone is happy with the new regulations, experts say it’s necessary to finally get back to “normal,” whatever that looks like post-COVID.