Pilot show series in Berlin
- Strengthening the competitiveness of the cultural and creative industries
- Participatory needs assessments and feasibility studies
In March 2021, Germany launched a pilot programme to test the safety of hosting live events amid the ongoing pandemic. The events took place across the German capital, Berlin, from 19 March to 4 April. The programme started with a performance by the Berliner Ensemble theatre company on 19 March. On 20 March, the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra played to an audience of 1,000 people. The concert was also attended by 45 medical professionals, including three doctors. Of the 1,000 concertgoers, nearly half were tested on site in the space of 90 minutes, while the remaining 520 were required to bring a negative Covid-19 test from an off-site test centre. In addition to testing negative for coronavirus, attendees were required to wear a face mask.
The new pilot project is just one scientific study out of Germany looking at the effect concerts have on the transmission of COVID-19, following the Restart-19 study and a later test show at Dortmund’s Konzerthaus, both of which showed live entertainment could take place safely in a pandemic situation.
See (Berlin launches pilot project for theaters as new COVID wave starts)