The Covid pandemic took a lot away from people, but the world is slowly coming back to a new normal. Thousands of people pushing to reach the front of the stage may have worked in the past, but it isn’t the ideal situation for concerts as they come back into play.

Many of America’s most talented artists are starting up their tours after a year-long break. Busch Stadium, The Family Arena, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater and the Pageant are ready to open their doors with new restrictions.

Many of the venues are setting up distant “pod” seatings to reduce capacity by almost half. All the venues are planning on slowly building up their capacity throughout the summer, and will hopefully host full capacity by the end of the season. All they are asking is for people to follow the normal Covid protocol with masks, and to keep a safe distance so they can keep their stages open.

“Although we have to wear masks and stay distanced, I think the concerts will still bring a huge amount of energy. I mean everyone loves music, and I cannot wait for them to go back to normal—even if it takes time,” senior Erin O’Brien said.

Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Brooks & Dunn are ready to hit the ground running at HCA this summer, bringing in new music, new ideas and a new vibe to concerts. Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 and The Backstreet Boys are also stopping by St. Louis to perform this summer.

“I had a ton of concerts lined up last summer, and when they all got cancelled I was not happy. So hearing that they are coming back even with new rules is amazing. The Thomas Rhett concert is the one I am most excited for, because he is so good live and just brings so much energy to the crowd,” O’Brien said.

Concerts help people to understand what it means to be alive. Being surrounded by music, thousands of people who love the same thing you love and just good energy makes you feel like you belong. When Covid hit last year, millions of people lost tickets to shows they were expecting and excited for.

With events coming back to normal, the world is very excited and we are welcoming concerts back with open arms. Everyone is ready to come back to life and enjoy to music this summer!