DENVER — While the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets and even Blake Shelton won’t be playing at the Pepsi Center in the near future due to the new coronavirus (COVID-19), there’s one artist who did.
Multiple people reached out to 9NEWS via email and on Twitter to express disappointment that the planned Post Malone show at the Pepsi Center Thursday night will continue, saying they're now out hundreds of dollars because they don't want to put themselves at risk of getting sick.
Other performances at the venue – including Blake Shelton’s on March 14 – have been postponed.
But, in a tweet, the Pepsi Center wrote that the Post Malone concert is “proceeding as scheduled.”
“We continue to monitor the current COVID-19 situation with local, state and federal authorities,” the Kroenke-owned Pepsi Center tweeted. “Please continue to monitor venue websites and social media channels regarding any updates to upcoming events.”
While Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) hasn’t gone as far as to bar all large public gatherings, he and health officials in the state have warned against them due to concerns they could amplify the spread of disease. Multiple people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and community spread is now suspected in the state.
The governor's office also issued a statement saying that Polis will participate in a conference call with sports teams, conference calls and museums on Friday to discuss action steps moving forward.
The NHL and NBA have both suspended their seasons due to the virus. As for concerts, at this point, it appears to be up to the promoter rather than the venue itself. The Mission Ballroom – another large indoor music venue in Denver that's owned by Live Nation competitor AEG Presents– told 9NEWS its upcoming concerts are still on and that it is "taking precautions to provide a safe environment for our patrons."
Billboard first reported that Live Nation – the promoter behind Post Malone’s tour – will likely postpone tours in the near future. But “some select shows will play out over the next few days, but the remainder of the concerts will be postponed.”
Calls to Live Nation were not returned. This reporter also reached out to Post Malone himself via Instagram direct message and has not gotten an answer.
9NEWS did receive a statement from the Pepsi Center in response to our inquiry, but it did not directly address Post Malone:
To help navigate these unprecedented times, KSE is working with medical experts, government officials and major sports leagues in the United States, Europe and Asia to ensure the well-being of our employees, fans, vendors and partners. While we have not ruled out any possible intervention – from the recent suspensions of the NBA, NHL, MLS and NLL seasons to postponing concerts and other events - KSE continues to follow the mandates set forth by local, national and international health officials. We are also following the guidance of the various sports leagues we are involved with, including the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, National Lacrosse League, Major League Soccer, the National Football League and the English Premier League.
Tickets to Post Malone’s Denver show ranged from $75 to $670 on StubHub as of this writing. It doesn’t appear that they have necessarily flooded the secondary market.
On Twitter, multiple fans expressed disappointment the show wasn’t being rescheduled.
Post Malone himself has been silent about the future of his tour. The Mercury News in California reports his concert at the Chase Center in San Francisco that was scheduled for March 19 has not been canceled as planned, but few other details were released.
The Days of Summer Cruise Fest – which was supposed to feature Post Malone and other artists – has also been rescheduled.
9NEWS has contacted Post Malone’s agent to see if there is information about the Denver date and has not received a response. We also reached out to Polis' office. We received the following statement.
“The Governor has recommended that those who are 60 or older or those with underlying health conditions not participate in mass gatherings," a statement from Polis' spokesperson reads. "We expect to be issuing guidance on mass gathering in days ahead.”
Maybe it's worth mentioning that Post Malone is actually something of a "doomsday prepper."
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