NEWS: California May Allow Return of Indoor Concerts, Theater, and More SOON

California continues to update industry guidance as its counties advance through the colored tier reopening system. Ever since the state released its modified guidance for theme parks, Disneyland has been preparing for its reopening to take place on April 30th.

Disneyland Resort

Today, the state is preparing to release further guidance, this time when it comes to large social gatherings and live events.

This latest guidance is separate from theme park reopening guidance and will have different capacity restrictions and modifications in place. The guidance, reported by KRON 4, will include capacity limitations for gatherings and events based on the colored tier that a county is currently in. It also has variations for capacity based on whether or not all guests in attendance are fully vaccinated.

Governor Gavin Newsom in California Press Conference

It’s important to point out that the following guidance is specifically for the live event sector and may or may not have a direct impact on theme parks. While parks like Disneyland have performance venues, the state may issue separate guidelines for performances within theme parks. The following bullet points highlight what will be included in the newest guidance:

Purple Tier: Private events are only allowed outdoors and capacity is limited to 25 people. If all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination, capacity may increase to 100 people.
Red Tier: Outdoor events are limited to 50 people, which may increase to 200 people if all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Indoor gatherings are also permitted if all guests in attendance are tested or can show proof of full vaccination, in which case capacity is still limited to 100 people.
Orange Tier: Outdoor events are limited to 100 people, which may increase to 300 people if all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Indoor gatherings are permitted if all guests in attendance are tested or can show proof of full vaccination, in which case capacity is still limited to 150 people.
Yellow Tier: Outdoor events are limited to 200 people, which may increase to 400 people if all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination. Indoor gatherings are permitted if all guests in attendance are tested or can show proof of full vaccination, in which case capacity is still limited to 200 people.

Disney California Adventure

For indoor live events such as concerts and live theatre, the following guidance is currently in place:

Indoor live events are permitted under the Red, Orange, and Yellow tiers. In all three tiers, physical distancing is required, along with advance ticket purchases, designated areas for eating and drinking, and attendance limited to in-state visitors.
For venues with 1,500 seats or fewer, capacity is limited to 10% or 100 people (whichever is fewer) in the Red tier, 15% or 200 people (whichever is fewer) in the Orange Tier, and 25% or 300 people (whichever is fewer) in the Yellow Tier. Capacity in Red, Orange, and Yellow tiers increases to 25%, 35%, and 50% respectively if all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination.
For venues with 1,501 seats or more, capacity is limited to 20% in the Red tier and testing or proof of vaccination is required. In both the Orange and Yellow tiers, capacity is limited to 10% or 2,000. Capacity in the Orange and Yellow tiers increases to 35% and 50% respectively if all guests in attendance are tested or show proof of full vaccination.

Mickey and Walt Storytellers Statue

This guidance for large social gatherings and live performances is currently in development so we will be keeping a close eye on the latest news coming out of California. Again, keep in mind that theme park guidance may have its own separate requirements when it comes to live performances within a park, so we will be keeping an eye on any potential additions or modifications in that sector as well.