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Artists and venues urge San Francisco commission to permit small outdoor performances now
Summary
Artists, venue operators and community groups asked the Entertainment Commission to push the Department of Public Health to allow smaller outdoor performances this year, citing safety protocols, economic necessity and a narrow window before the rainy season for prototype events.
San Francisco — Dozens of artists, organizers and small-venue operators told the city’s Entertainment Commission on a virtual call that the city should allow small, managed outdoor performing-arts events this fall rather than wait until later reopening phases.
“Outdoor performing arts should be permitted now,” said Aria Zarenkalk, who said she was representing small and mid-sized bands in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Zarenkalk urged the commission to treat outdoor performing arts differently than large indoor concert halls and to pilot events before the rainy season to test safety protocols.
Multiple callers and chat participants made similar appeals. “We need performances now,” said Shasha Higbee, a performance artist who asked the commission to move outdoor performing arts out of Phase 4 and into an earlier stage where safe, socially distanced events could be prototyped before November. Speakers emphasized health precautions such as reduced audience sizes, contact tracing and social distancing.
Commission staff said they are working with the economic recovery task force on draft proposals and that nine letters from artists and groups asking to activate outdoor spaces were provided to commissioners.
Commissioners agreed that the Department of Public Health should be involved in setting any science-based protocols. One commissioner summarized the dilemma this way: while large outdoor gatherings occur across the city unregulated, organized small performances could provide safer, ticketed alternatives and help sustain venues and artists.
The request for pilot events reflected two central arguments from speakers: first, that many performing-arts activities outdoors carry lower transmission risk than large indoor concerts; second, that a short window exists to stage prototype events before the rainy season that would inform longer-term guidance. Several callers noted the economic and mental-health role of live performance and urged the commission to advocate for clear guidelines from health authorities.
Next steps identified by commissioners included continuing outreach to the Department of Public Health, consolidating industry proposals and exploring whether guidance already developed by national arts organizations could speed a local protocol.
