Five thousand rock fans in face masks enjoyed a concert in Barcelona last night after passing a same-day coronavirus antigen test in an experiment into the screening’s effectiveness.
The gig at the Palau Sant Jordi arena, which is thought to be the first commercial event with an audience that big held in Europe during the pandemic, was set up to test the screening’s effectiveness in preventing outbreaks of the virus at large events.
The show, by Spanish rock group Love of Lesbian, had the permission of Spanish health authorities to go ahead, with the only rule inside being the use of the high-quality face masks provided by the concert organisers.
Around 5,000 people were able to attend a rock concern in Barcelona last night as part of an experiment to test how effective same-day testing can be
In order to attend the rock concert, every person had to be tested on the morning of the gig and return a negative test result before they were given the go ahead to attend
Those who were lucky enough to go to the concert at Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona were able to mix freely and dance close together without distancing restrictions
On Saturday morning nurses administered tests for every person hoping to go to the concert as part of the experiment testing the effectiveness of same-day testing for large events
The gig at the Palau Sant Jordi arena is thought to be the first commercial event with an audience that big held in Europe during the pandemic
The show by Spanish indie rock group Love of Lesbian had the permission of Spanish health authorities to go ahead. Pictured: The audience gather together as they wait for the gig to start
The only rule implemented inside the arena was the use of the high-quality face masks provided by the concert organisers. Pictured: People embrace as they enjoy the show
While the rest of the country was limited to gatherings of no more than four people in closed spaces, the concertgoers were able to mix freely, dancing up close to one another, at the sold out show.
It comes as earlier this week it was revealed Spain had 18.1 per cent more deaths than usual in 2020.
Poland, Spain and Belgium had the highest excess mortality in Europe, according to a separate tally released by Britain’s ONS last week.
Ticket buyers chose between three venues in Barcelona where they could take a quick antigen test, carried out by 80 nurses on Saturday morning.
By midday, three out of 2,400 people already screened had tested positive and one had come into contact with a positive case, said Dr. Josep Maria Libre, a doctor who oversaw the testing. They were unable to attend the concert and would get a refund.
Attendees received their antigen test results in 10 to 15 minutes via an app on their phones.
Those with negative results got a code on their cellphones validating their tickets for the 7pm show.
People with heart disease, cancer, or those who have been in contact with someone infected by COVID-19 in recent weeks were asked not to sign up.
Concertgoers were able to mix freely, dancing up close to one another, at the sold out show, despite the rest of the country is limited to gatherings of no more than four people in closed spaces
Waiting for the show, people were able to embrace and converse close together as they wore their white protective masks provided by the arena, including this couple who cuddled before the show
Tickets ranged from £20-24 (23-28 euros) and included the cost of the test and the face mask that was obligatory except when eating or drinking in designated areas
Concertgoers praised the event, including Jose Parejo, 40, who said it provided him with the opportunity to ‘evade reality for a while’. Pictured: Spectators wait for the show to start
Gerard Munne, 37, said the gig was was a release: ‘A sensation of freedom, being able to feel the warmth of the people,’ he said. ‘(It was) yesterday’s normality.’
Singer Santi Balmes told the crowd. ‘Welcome to one of the most exciting concerts of our lives. It’s been a year and half since we last set foot on a scenario as a band’
The band performed to the thousands of concertgoers who were able to attend after they returned a negative coronavirus test that same day
Publicist Salvador, 29, said: ‘It was spectacular. We felt safe at all times. We were in the front row and it was something we’d missed a lot’
The tickets, ranging from £20-24 (23-28 euros), included the cost of the test and the face mask that was obligatory except when eating or drinking in designated areas.
‘Welcome to one of the most exciting concerts of our lives. It’s been a year and half since we last set foot on a scenario as a band,’ singer Santi Balmes told the crowd. ‘This is so… some of the musicians are crying over here.’
Speaking after the show, concertgoer Jose Parejo, 40, said: ‘We were able to evade reality for a while. We were inside our small concert bubble.
‘And we were even able to remember back in time when things like this one were normal. Things that nowadays aren’t that normal, sadly.’
For 37-year-old Gerard Munne, it was a release: ‘A sensation of freedom, being able to feel the warmth of the people,’ he said. ‘(It was) yesterday’s normality.’
The concert was backed by local authorities and by experts of Barcelona’s The Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation. Pictured: A wide-angle view of the large crowd
Organisers The Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation also organised a case study around a smaller concert of 500 people in December. Pictured: Concertgoers sang along and raised their hands at the gig last night
The results of the 500-person event in December gave preliminary insight into the effectiveness of pre-screen with antigen tests before large events. Pictured: The crowd on Saturday night
They said that the results of that preliminary case study showed that pre-screening with antigen tests and the use of face masks succeeded in preventing infections inside the concert despite there being no social distancing rules. PIctured: The gig on Saturday
In addition to being ten times larger than the concert in December, this time there was no control group maintained outside the concert hall on Saturday
Instead, of a control group, concertgoers agreed public health authorities can inform Revollo’s team if they come down with the coronavirus in the weeks after the concert. Pictured: Spectators wait for the show to begin
Publicist Salvador, 29, said: ‘It was spectacular. We felt safe at all times. We were in the front row and it was something we’d missed a lot.
‘We are very proud to have had the chance to take part in this. We hope it’ll be the first of many.’
‘I believe today we have made one thing a reality which is to show the world that culture is safe,’ said Ramon, a 49-year-old fan.
The concert was backed by local authorities and by experts of Barcelona’s The Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, which also organised a case study around a smaller concert of 500 people in December.
They said that the results of that preliminary case study showed that pre-screening with antigen tests and the use of face masks succeeded in preventing infections inside the concert despite there being no social distancing rules.
Ticket buyers chose between three venues in Barcelona where they could take a quick antigen test, carried out by 80 nurses on Saturday morning. Pictured: People line up outside a club to be screened for the coronavirus ahead of the concert
By midday, three out of 2,400 people already screened had tested positive and one had come into contact with a positive case, said Dr. Josep Maria Libre, a doctor who oversaw the testing. Pictured: Healthcare workers collect swab samples from people before the concert
Anyone who returned a positive test and was unable to attend the concert they were given a refund for their ticket. Pictured: A healthcare worker collects a swab sample from a woman before the concert
Attendees received their antigen test results in 10 to 15 minutes via an app on their phones, letting them know if they were eligible to attend. Pictured: A woman gets tested for COVID-19 before the concert
Those with negative results got a code on their cellphones validating their tickets for the 7pm show. Pictured: A healthworker works on antigen test for Covid-19 before the concert
People with heart disease, cancer, or those who have been in contact with someone infected by COVID-19 in recent weeks were asked not to sign up. Pictured: A healthworker validates an antigen test for Covid-19 before the concert
‘This is another small step toward being able to hold concerts and cultural events’ during the pandemic, said Dr. Boris Revollo, the virologist involved in the design of the health protocols.
In addition to being ten times larger than the concert in December, this time there was no control group maintained outside the concert hall.
Instead, concertgoers agreed public health authorities can inform Revollo’s team if they come down with the coronavirus in the weeks after the concert.
With that information, Revollo’s team will do an analysis of infection rates among the 5,000 concertgoers compared with that of the general population to see if there are any discrepancies that could point to contagion at the concert.