The Bradenton Blues Festival still plans to take place later this year, but it will move to a larger venue, reduce its audience by about two-thirds and take other preventative measures because of COVID-19.
The ninth annual festival now will take place Dec. 4-5 at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training ballpark in Bradenton, LECOM Park, a venue with twice as much open space as its longtime Riverwalk location, according to event planners. It also will reduce its typical capacity of about 3,000 for the main Dec. 5 event to 1,100.
“If ever a year needed the improvisational style of blues, it’s 2020,” said Johnette Isham, executive director of the nonprofit Realize Bradenton that produces the event, in a statement. “So we proceed with the Bradenton Blues Festival – but with care – care for our musicians, our community and our fans. When the coronavirus emerged, we took pause and monitored trends. During this time, we consulted with event and health experts to develop a strategy on how to continue with the festival in the most cautious way possible.”
Tickets purchased in one transaction will be seated together and separated six feet or more from other attendees, with a limited number of tickets closer to the stage. Masks will be required whenever attendees are not in their seats, with reasonable exceptions for those eating or drinking while physically distanced.
Other safety measures will include temperature checks for everyone entering the event, single entrances and exits with no reentry allowed and hand sanitizer stations. If this year’s festival is canceled, attendees will be able to either donate their purchase as a tax-deductible gift to Realize Bradenton, roll over their ticket to the 2021 festival, or request a refund, not including convenience fee.
This year’s performers include Grammy-nominated Chicago harmonica player and singer Billy Branch, singer and Muddy Waters’ son Mud Morganfield, Tampa blues guitar favorite Selwyn Birchwood, California soul-blues singer Terrie Odabi, St. Louis bluesman Marquise Knox, and Madison, Wisconsin, group The Jimmys. There also will be a tribute to renowned guitarist and keyboardist Lucky Peterson, who was scheduled to play the festival before passing away in May.
The Dec. 4 Blues Appetizer concert featuring the Crystal Shawanda Band and Tullie Brae Band also will take place at LECOM Park, but it will allow only 500 attendees and require tickets. The Bradenton Blues Brunch, featuring area blues-rock favorites Damon Fowler and Greg Poulos, still will take place Dec. 6 at Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille Downtown Bradenton.
Tickets cost $45 general admission stadium seating ($20 students, $10 ages 5-12, free four and under) and $125 reserved front-of-stage seating for the main festival, $10 for the Blues Appetizer concert and $55 for the Blues Brunch. For more information, visit bradentonbluesfestival.org.