The Aspen Music Festival announced last week that it will allow concertgoers to reserve seats on the Karetsky Music Lawn for free for its most popular events at the Benedict Music Tent this summer.
Free tickets for lawns for major events are available from 9 a.m. on the day before the event via online reservations.
The announcement cited guest convenience and public health precautions due to the large number of people expected.
“This ensures that there is enough space for distancing and that guests know if a seat is available before they leave home to come to an event,” the announcement said.
Weekly events using the system include the Aspen Chamber Symphony performances on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the Aspen Festival Orchestra concerts on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Special events that require reservations are the Saturday performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and “The Music of Richard Rodgers” on August 2nd and 3rd.
For the remainder of the season’s events, including the Matthew Whitaker opening concert on Thursday, guests can simply arrive and enjoy as usual.
On this Saturday and Sunday the meadow opens one hour before the concert time. For the rest of the events that require a reservation, the sunbathing lawn opens 90 minutes in advance. The festival asks concert-goers not to arrive earlier to save space.
Festival President and CEO Alan Fletcher said Tuesday that the organization will maintain this system for at least two weeks after the opening and Independence Day weekend.
“In two weeks, if there is no spike (in local coronavirus cases) after July 4th, we will reassess whether we can make it more open,” explained Fletcher. “That’s what we’re looking for.”
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