Going to an outdoor concert as safely as possible?

The number one thing you can do is wear a good mask.

The number two thing you can do is get that mask fit tested. If you’re concerned with the fit, consider mask tape.

Outdoor transmission is definitely much less likely, but if you’re in close proximity to people, especially large groups of people, the biggest thing protecting you is the mask. Thankfully masks work incredibly well.

I understand the worries about supporting crowded concerts. Personally, I don’t like the idea of supporting indoor concerts, but I also feel that showing up masked to events is it’s own form of activism.

I go to a lot of concerts w strict protocols. Your strategy sounds solid. I recommend also checking set times to try and only spend the time you really want to be there. Check setlists as well and possibly try to walk out as the last song is being played as to beat the serious crowds.

I would only recommend adding planning to test yourself after the concert as well.

If it is in within your budget, I personally do one test 48 hours after and an additional test 4 days after.

I like disrupting people’s visual that there are people still taking this pandemic seriously. And nine times out of ten, I am not the only masked attendee.

I personally consider wearing a well-fitted N95 while attending an outdoor event to be pretty safe. If it's not seated then find a place on the outskirts instead of in the midst of the crowd obv. If it's windy that's ideal, and if it's humid aerosols will drop faster. Behave post-concert as if you've been exposed, and if you have tests (esp if it's Matrix, Lucira etc) then test a few days after.

I've found the intragroup conflict you're speaking about to be pretty frustrating. Infectious disease harm reduction is never perfect, and expecting everybody to be 0 risk is unrealistic. Fit-tested N95s work very well, and outdoors is substantially lower risk than indoors. We need to live in a way that's sustainable as Covid isn't going anywhere. For me that means occasionally taking on risk that's higher than my baseline for events that I consider to be high value (this concert sounds high value for you). I try to do this when numbers are lower, and I am well versed on the science (masking, testing, timelines, airborne transmission etc). I feel confident in effectively risk assessing and doing the things within my control to bring risk down.

I would go masked. I wouldn't bother with an air purifier outside. I don't feel like it's incompatible with any of my values to do things masked. You're not spreading anything to others and odds are you aren't catching anything either.

• SIP mask valve so you can stay hydrated without breaking the seal

• Eye protection of some sort, like glasses with clip on side shields, in case someone coughs, shouts, or sings directly in your face

• Seconding the fit testing and/or mask tape suggestion. Fit is really important in high risk situations like this. Make sure your N95/N99 fits after it's been worn for hours and not just right out of the package.

Fit test, an industrial elastomeric and eye protection will handle it in the safest way possible. What you planned isn't bad but since you're asking about the safest way, that's what I'd do (and do)

I’m going to a concert at a baseball stadium in two weeks, and I’ll be wearing a fit-tested N95 with a sip valve. We bought tickets in the nosebleeds, and the whole area is outdoors and gets a lot of wind in general.

I’ve gone to a ton of outdoor concerts in the past 3 years, ranging from the small socially distanced ones to much larger ones at outdoor amphitheaters. I wear my mask any time I’m around a lot of people or indoors/nearly indoors, and keep my distance as much as I can. I have brought air purifiers in the past but now I just check my Aranet readings to see how things are.

I’m very CC in general and operate pretty much exclusively outdoors, and tend to limit my time indoors as much as I can. But I’ve gone to a few indoor concerts, always masked up in an N95. I’m doing what I can to protect myself and others, and considering that most people are fine with doing exactly none of that, I can at least be happy with what I am doing. I don’t consider these kinds of activities to be a violation of my personal moral code regarding the pandemic and staying safe.

OP, I'd like to address your concern about your attending the concert feeding the "you just have to live your life"narrative.

Remember that the people who say that phrase generally use it to justify returning to 2019 attitudes and practices. The subtext is "you have to live your life as though Covid doesn't exist".

That is not what you are doing. You are living as well as possible while acknowledging risk and protecting yourself as best you can. You're evaluating risk, making backup plans, testing and wearing equipment, and doing what you can to reduce harm to yourself and others.

It's a risk, of course, and only you can decide if that's worth it for you (FWIW if I were physically able to do concerts right now, I would get a lot out of the experience). But I don't think morally you have anything to worry about.

If you're wearing a respirator at the concert and as you go about your life afterwards, it's unlikely that you'll spread Covid to others. That's the bit that I think a lot of CC people miss out when they talk about losing respect for people who go to more risky events - if you're taking precautions, you're not putting others at risk so I don't think it's reasonable to argue you're "part of the problem". If they're against attending those events in principle, I understand why, but I think it's a more realistic ask to say people who do attend riskier events should do their best to mitigate that risk by wearing a mask during and afterwards - not that they shouldn't happen at all.

Fit-test the N95 and keep it on the whole concert. Doing this alone should keep you perfectly safe, but you could also use a nasal spray right before the event and a few times daily for the week after.

I know covixyl is popular, but there’s better evidence for Iota Carrageenan (found in Betadine) or Xylitol (found in Xlear). But honestly, if you don’t have spare money to spend I wouldn’t even bother with these, as the N95 itself will keep you safe, and the fact that it’s outdoors also works in your favor.

I successfully attended the Renaissance tour last summer with a sip valve on my n95. Avoided alcohol and did nasal spray and eyedrops before and after the concert. It was also in a huge outdoor stadium and windy too.

I had a blast, but also got overstimulated afterward from leaving the stadium with the crowd. Im not sure of the best thing to do precautions wise but, personally so youre not stuck in a sea of people leading the area, Id hang out and let the crowds disperse before leaving. It was also just before the wave last summer really took off in July & August.

This summer is definitely very different from last summer in terms of timing and the amount of covid infections though 😞 I said no roughly a month and a half ago to attending the Rolling Stones concert and I am SO GLAD I did. Ive heard of Covid left and right from that concert plus Pride last weekend.

I bought ticket to a concert at Red Rocks, a venue I've always wanted to go to, and I'm thinking about it a lot, too. I'm used to being stared at, as a fat, mixed-race person, so I think I can bear the looks.

I know there are people who have to stay more isolated than I do (going to stores is my main risky thing I do), but there are other things we do to help with limiting covid transmission. Every link broken in the chain of transmission counts!

I'd skip the mouthwash unless there was a clear, open exposure (like you took your mask off and a group of people walked close to you, etc) nuking your oral microbiome and decreasing virus fighting N.O. production for a day sounds counter intuitive. Use your best mask, don't get in too tight with crowds and enjoy.

I think you’re being as safe as you can be for that situation. Yes, you are taking some risk, but I think we also have to do things that give us some joy or light. Last week I went to see Suffs on Broadway. I wore an N95 in a packed indoor theater. I also have LC and am trying not to get COVID again, but I went because I need some joy right now as well as inspiration for my career (performing arts).

SIP Mask valve, skip the opener + leave before the last song ends, stand at the back/off to the side, and don't be afraid to leave if you feel too uncomfortable.

Hi - Covid-free attendee of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour last year (crowd of 80K people in an outdoor stadium) here.

This is what I did: N95 mask while in stadium and at seat. When i had to take a drink (because it was 90 degrees outside) i stepped into the aisle and briefly lowered my mask. (I had an aisle seat so this was easier)

Nasal spray before concert. Nasal spray & mouthwash after concert. I also wear eyeglasses.

My motto is that I'm going to live as safely as I possibly can, but I also cannot stay in my house forever for my own emotional/mental wellbeing. hope that helps you!

I went to an outdoor concert the weekend before last with lawn seats, which are behind the stadium-style amphitheater seats. I sat near the front of the lawn, right next to the path down to the amphitheatre, so there was a gap between me and the amphitheatre and most of the lawn seat people were behind me. My view of the stage was partially obstructed, so nobody sat right in front of or behind me. I brought 3 blankets with me and spread them out (this was for two of us) so people wouldn’t sit too close to me. (The show wasn’t sold out and had lots of open space on the lawn available.)

I had my food and drink early before many other people got to the area— I got there 2 hours early to claim my spot— and masked once it got busier and cooled down a little, since it was over 90 degrees when I arrived.

And of course I used my nasal spray and CPC mouthwash before and after the show.

I haven't heard of people getting covid outside while masked, tbh. Outdoors, unmasked, yes. Masked? No.

It’s not inherently selfish to do things around other people. Every single one of us is in control of our own personal risk factors, things that go even beyond Covid. The issue is when your risks impose on somebody else’s bodily autonomy and safety. When somebody is positive with Covid and openly spreading it, it’s not just their problem, it’s now everyone who got infected from them and so on’s problem aswell. You making sure you’re personally not positive with Covid before hand, deals with that issue. If this is a risk you want to take then that’s your choice. You’re doing what you can to minimize the risks, (masking) like we do in everyday life, that’s how we go on. As a society we have many laws in place to try and minimize risks for different reasons (seat belts etc.) ..not sure why people can’t adapt to the fact that we’re in a pandemic and maybe masking isn’t so political but rather just common sense, is wild to me. Risk factor wise yes, there is going to be more of a risk in large crowds like that, where generally 99% if not more are going to be unmasked. Of course, but you already know the risks. And as long as you make sure to keep the bad case scenario of getting infected to yourself (hopefully you don’t I hope everything works out for you truly we do deserve some happiness here and there) and making sure you isolate, and not spreading it, then you’re not being selfish. I’m suppose to go to an outdoor concert festival next month and I am also nervous as well. Constantly having the internal battle…last summer was hell (beginning of peak long Covid for me) and I still deal with POTS like symptoms, but I’m masking now all the time trying to balance being cautious and also doing somethings for me this year.

good n95 or better mask, fit tested if possible, find some open space to enjoy the music. everything else is noise

Fit tested elastomeric is best short of a PAPR. Worth having P100 protection. Current one I use is Trend Stealth Lite Pro.

Of course wear it from the time you leave your door til you get back. I think you would be reasonably safe.

I bet we are planning to attend the same concert I have the exact same worries and I am debating canceling since my friend is being really inconsiderate and ignorant

Do you have seats or is it general admission?

I wonder if a personal fan could help with airflow outside? In addition to the masking and nasal sprays

Concerts etc nowadays are purely consumerism gone mad, whereby we are now pushing ourselves closer to disability and extinction just to keep on “living life”, insisting on holding superspreader events across the globe for the sake of entertainment.

Not to mention the carbon footprint associated with such events. Or do we conveniently push climate change to the side when it inconveniences us? A bit like how all the people currently cosplaying pre pandemic times won’t take any mitigations against covid because of the inconvenience to “normal” life.

We know that artists are getting sick, with some high profile ones already unable to perform at all anymore. Whilst others will inevitably end up that way. Some may eventually die. A poll done at Taylor Swift’s concerts in Madrid showed that around 1 in 3 people polled fell sick afterwards. How many of those will suffer lifelong health consequences? How many children who attended will soon have T1 diabetes to contend with? Or heart problems? Or brain damage? Or increased susceptibility to a whole host of other diseases? Or all of the above…

By holding these events and continuing to do so in the fashion in which we do, we perpetuate these issues. We can state wearing a mask is its own form of activism, but we are in year five of the pandemic and mask wearing at concerts hasn’t changed anything. That line, to me at least, is simply virtue signalling. If you will, a way of telling ourselves that being at, and funding, a superspreader event that’s creating more disability and death in our communities purely to entertain ourselves is actually morally acceptable. When in fact, it most likely isn’t.

So yes you can wear a mask, but do all the problems associated with such events simply cease happening if you do? If you can still enjoy the concerts with all that in mind, then go for it I guess.

But for me, I absolutely could not. It’d be akin to watching a freight train crash into a crowd of people in slow motion and I’ve pulled up a seat in the front row (even paid for the ticket) just to watch it all unfold, but having the luxury of knowing I’m highly unlikely to get injured in the process since I’ve protected myself, but know everybody else is at risk.

More Death? More Disability? Perhaps. But hey, I got to be entertained, and that’s what’s most important.