NOBLESVILLE — Concerts are set to return to Ruoff Music Center in July with a new look.
On Monday, tour promoter Live Nation announced its first-ever drive-in concerts for the United States called "Live from the Drive-In," months after the live music industry went on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A set of three shows are scheduled from July 10-12 at the Ruoff Music Center parking lot in Noblesville. Yacht Rock Revue will open the series on July 10, followed by Jon Pardi on July 11 and Brad Paisley on July 12. Each concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Drive-in concerts will also be held on the same dates at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in St. Louis.
Tom See, president of Live Nation Venues-U.S. Concerts, said the company spent months working to find a safe, enjoyable way to put on live shows during the pandemic.
“We’re really dialed in with partnerships with (the) local jurisdictions (and) we’ve been meeting with them for months, just talking about how we can provide a great, comfortable experience to fans with social distancing at the forefront in whatever phase they’re about to enter. Because of those relationships and that communication going back and forth, we’ve been successful in getting that green light,” See told the Associated Press.
“It was really important to us not to just do one and be done. It wouldn’t be Live Nation. It wouldn’t be the concert industry leader. We wanted to make a bigger statement.”
According to Live Nation, concertgoers will drive into the amphitheater parking lots with a maximum of four people per car and have two empty spaces between each vehicle so fans can watch from their designated individual tailgating zones.
Attendees can bring food, drinks and chairs. They will set up around their cars to view the performers from the stage and also from large LED screens. Viewing areas will be set up in five tiers: gold, red, blue, green and orange.
All venue staff will be required to wear masks, and Live Nation will request all attendees to wear masks upon arrival. There will be contact-less ticket scanning through car windows at the gate.
Live Nation said masks will not be required once fans are in their designated tailgate area, and the entertainment company will not require that fans wear gloves.
Portable restrooms will be available on site, and fans will be required to maintain social distancing and encouraged to wear masks while going to and from the facilities.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday on Live Nation's website. One ticket is good for up to four people per vehicle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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