OTTAWA, Ontario (CelebrityAccess) — The Ontario Festival Industry Taskforce is teaming up with DNA Live to produce The Long Road Back, a live, and in-person concert using rapid COVID-19 antigen screening to ensure the safety of guests and employees.
The event, which will take place at Landsowne Park on March 27th, will feature performances by Motown soul music legends, The Commotions.
“As we look ahead to the summer of 2021 and beyond, establishing best practices for live music events now is critical,” says OFIT chair Mark Monahan. “In order to produce summer and fall events, rapid COVID-19 antigen screening is needed to demonstrate live concerts can happen safely.”
“The National Arts Centre is proud to partner on this initiative that will help pave the way to the safe return of live music events in Canada,” said Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of NAC Popular Music and Variety. “The learnings from this event will be invaluable as our industry prepares to safely welcome audiences back to our performance venues.”
The screening will be offered at participating Shoppers Drug Mart stores 48 hours before the event—between the hours of 3:30 p.m. on March 25 to 3:30 p.m. on March 27. Organizers are producing the event under the guidance of Rapid Test & Trace Canada, and the concert will be the first major event in Canada to use rapid screening.
Despite the safety measures, the event will be held outdoors, and will be limited to 100 attendees, organizers said.
The concert is also being produced with support from the Canadian Live Music Association, Ottawa Festivals Network, and the National Arts Centre.
