For the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will host ticketed fans at live shows, the promotion announced Thursday.
AEW will open up Daily's Place, an open-air amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida, to a 10% to 15% capacity crowd, beginning with the promotion's Dynamite television program Aug. 27 on TNT. In a news release, AEW said it will follow state, local and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines with "physically distanced seating pods" available for sale.
Fans will be required to wear face coverings that cover the nose and mouth and must distance from people not in their "pod." Temperature checks will be administered as a requirement to entry.
Daily's Place, which has a capacity of 5,500, is the venue attached to the Jacksonville Jaguars' TIAA Stadium. AEW and the Jaguars are both owned by the Khan family.
"With our enhanced safety measures and outdoor venue, we look forward to welcoming our fans back to become part of the action in-person," AEW president and CEO Tony Khan said in a statement. "Please be assured, we are mindful and respectful of the situation. The health and safety of our AEW family and our fans remains our highest priority. Our leadership team and medical staff have adjusted our operations for limited, physically distanced fans in an outdoor, open-air setting in compliance with the most current state and local regulations and CDC guidelines."
WWE has yet to have ticked fans back for shows, though the promotion announced earlier this week that virtual fans will be present in a new locale beginning with Friday's SmackDown program. WWE's main roster programs will now be broadcast from Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, a setup the promotion has dubbed "Thunderdome."