The government has today confirmed that restrictions around capacity at music venues will be lifted as of next Monday.

This means that we can finally dance again! We will be reopening for all planned gigs and events from WED 21st JULY, with the front bar reopening every day for our regulars too. We’ve got a cracking summer of shows in the calendar; head HERE to take a look….

However, as we move towards ‘personal responsibility’, we’d like to encourage our customers to treat each other and staff with respect. These are strange times, and in order to pull through this, respect needs to be at the heart of what we do not just as a venue, but as a society.
Here are some brief guidelines on how things will be working at The Crescent.

1. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID, please do not come to the show or venue.
2. Get vaccinated. Get double vaccinated. Take regular, free, lateral flow tests, ideally both before and after coming to shows. We will not be operating a ‘certification passport’ policy for a variety of reasons ranging from ticketing terms to practicality, but would like to encourage this behaviour none the less. We are offering all our staff regular testing too.
3. All our customer facing staff will be wearing masks. Please wear a mask if you feel able to, and when convenient. If you choose not to, you won’t be refused entry, but we’d ask that you respect other peoples choices and don’t judge others or enter into protracted arguments (including on this post please). There will be some behind the bar if you forget one.
4. Respect personal space. The Crescent is a larger venue than many, and we don’t oversell shows. There are only a handful of sellout shows in the calendar, and if standing, there is usually room to respect others personal space. Perhaps ask first if people are comfortable with you sitting by them, hugging them etc. If you’d like to know how busy a show is likely to be, you can email or ring.
5. We will continue to have a deep cleaning regime, hand sanitiser points around the venue and make the NHS check-in available at the front door. Whilst we can’t open doors or install a ventilation system due to noise issues/respect for our neighbours, we are working with MVT, York Music Venue Network and the Council to investigate alternatives such as filtration.

Finally, we just want to say this. The last year or so has been monumentally challenging for us a venue, and the music industry as a whole. Our funding is exhausted, and the next opportunity to apply for any more through Cultural Recovery Funding will not be open till Autumn. The reality is, like most venues, we need to open at full capacity in order to make it through the summer. Artists, promoters & sound engineers need these shows to happen. Nonetheless we’ll be doing everything that we can to ensure its both fun and safe.
Many thanks & stay safe
The Crescent x