Concert Promoter Discriminates Against COVID-19 Survivors With Natural Immunity

Photo: Moon River Music Festival crowd from 2019

Photo Credit: Moon River Music Festival / Facebook

Published August 9, 2021

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

Promoters for the upcoming Moon River Music Festival 2021 say they will require that all those in attendance be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test result from within the past 72 hours.

Tennessee Capitol Building in Nashville

The sold-out event takes place at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga on September 11 and 12. It features a lineup of live music and vendors, including co-founder Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. 

The festival was started by Holcomb in 2014 in Memphis and was moved to Chattanooga in 2018 after it outgrew the Memphis location. It is now organized by AC Entertainment. It is anticipated that around 11,000 people will be in attendance.

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The festival’s latest announcement also says that they will be requiring individuals to wear masks when visiting any indoor spaces in the park, and they also stated that anyone who is not fully vaccinated but has a negative test result must still wear a mask at all times while at the festival.

Source: Facebook

Event organizers also ask that people opt not to attend if they, or anyone in their party, has been recently exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

The announcement on the festival website and social media pages says that all attendees comply with their Moon River Fan Health Pledge.

The pledge asks that people not attend the festival if any of the following is true for them or anyone in their party:

  • Within 14 days before attending the festival you have tested positive, or been exposed to someone who has tested positive for, COVID-19;
  • Within 48 hours prior to attending the festival, you have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking muscle pain/achiness, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Within 14 days prior to attending the festival, you have travelled to any international territory identified by federal or applicable state or local governments as being subject to travel or quarantine advisories due to COVID-19

The Covid-19 Health Policy & Moon River Entry Requirements differ slightly from what was presented on the Facebook post.

They are stated as follows:

Moon River 2021 Entry Procedures

The safety of our patrons and our staff is our number one priority. As such, a full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Moon River 2021.

For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 72 hours (3 days) of first attending Moon River.

  1. Comply with the Moon River Fan Health Pledge
  2. Each day, bring a printed copy of your Vaccine Card, Vaccine Record, or printed result Negative COVID-19 test (showing test date). Regardless of your vaccination status we ask that you please also bring a mask.
  3. Bring your Festival Wristband
  4. If you are unvaccinated, wear a mask throughout your time onsite.
  5. Please also remember our updated bag policy – CLEAR BAGS ONLY – and No liquids are allowed to be brought into Moon River

Based on the latest advice from health officials, Moon River will ask that patrons wear masks in any indoor spaces at Coolidge Park, which includes The Lookout Lodge, The Carousel, Box Office, VIP Hospitality Lounge and the Friday night VIP Event. All fans attending the festival must bring a mask each day. 

Fans weighed in on the festival’s Facebook page, with many trying to sell tickets they purchased months ago, in light of the new COVID-19 regulations. Comments were made on older posts after the festival coordinators shut off all commenting on their post about the required vaccination.

Chris Carlino posted, “Am I expected to have a swab shoved up my 6 and 8 year old’s nose in order to attend??? If so I’m going to need a refund since that wasn’t part of the experience I paid $500 bucks for months ago.”

According to the information on their website, festival organizers are mandating the negative testing requirement for all in attendance, including minors.

The group is not offering refunds for those who do not want to comply with the new regulations. Refunds are only being issued for those who test positive with the 72 hours prior to the festival or who were positive and are still in the 14-day quarantine window.

Facebook follower Jay Dorley asked, “What’s 2 VIP tickets worth, if a full refund isn’t possible?? Am not ok with taking an infection so we probably will bail. Ridiculous.”

Organizers claim they are following the guidance of local health officials by instating the new policy.

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5 thoughts on “Concert Promoter Discriminates Against COVID-19 Survivors With Natural Immunity

  • August 9, 2021 at 3:45 pm
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    I don’t have tickets, but I wonder how much it would cost to get either a fake Covid vaccine paper or a fake positive Covid test to get a refund. A**holes!

    Reply
  • August 9, 2021 at 4:01 pm
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    While I understand the intention, I have concerns about the precedent this could set moving forward. Firstly, I am a covid survivor and when I attempted to get my first vaccine I suffered a severe reaction (swelling and extreme pain. I was told that this could have occurred due to my having natural immunity. My doctor felt it in my best interest not to proceed with the second shot or any booster vaccines. If more and more businesses adopt this practice I could potentially be excluded from events and family gatherings. My second concern is with the ineffectiveness of the vaccine in both preventing illness to the individual and others. As we are now learning, the Vaccine, at best, is 60% effective in reducing the the severity of symptoms. Vaccinated people can get and transmit this to others as easily as unvaccinated. There is no statistically significant protection the vaccine offers over natural immunity. Assuming that Vaccinated people are protected and “safer” than their unvaccinated counterparts is inaccurate and potentially irresponsible.
    If someone who attends the concert contracts or spreads COVID will they be compensated by the venue?? I know its a silly question but t=when you live in a society where consumers can sue over coffee being to hot, there are warnings on pop-tarts to remove food from wrapper before ingesting, its no out of the question someone will argue they should have been safe but got sick from the event

    Reply
  • August 9, 2021 at 4:31 pm
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    If you have a ticket and they refuse to let you in and you continue to stand outside it’s like a peaceful protest that gets news attention …why are you still outside ?, because TN is becoming NYC. It is shameful that you can’t even get a refund.

    Reply
  • August 9, 2021 at 6:28 pm
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    Lollapalooza just did this very thing. They alleged that 90% of the concert goers were vaccinated. That they sent home 600people who didn’t have either the vaccine or Covid negative test. Nice round number there btw.
    I know this because we were there all 4 days. I am a Covid survivor. We did the Covid testing. Had paperwork in hand. Lollapalooza did the right thing and offered full refunds to those who didn’t want the vaccine or the tests.
    I will say that the 90% is total crap. (As were the other stats).
    They scanned your bracket and then You walked forward to an event worker who checked your papers. There wasn’t any logging of info or stats documented by that person. They were standing there, empty handed, checking documents. That’s it.

    Reply
    • August 10, 2021 at 2:49 am
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      Let them all lose money like the sports. People shouldn’t have other people telling them how to live their life. They say you still get it even if you had a shot so they should all stay home. So far it is a free world. If people think they will get sick they should stay home instead of expecting everyone else to go by their rules.

      Reply

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