Concerts in the time of coronavirus

Are you ready to make the big leap? Are you ready to venture out of the comfortable, worry-free zone you’ve cocooned yourself in, sheltering in place at home for seven months, to see live music again? This weekend is your chance. Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park is the site of three consecutive evenings of socially-distanced concerts with Big Night Out,  October 23, 24, and 25.

Friday, Moon Taxi and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong kick off the series, which promises “live concerts like never before.” There’s a reason for that — you’ll be viewing the shows from inside your own, private pod! That’s right! No need to breathe in the carbon dioxide — and possible contaminants — of unknown individuals seated next to you. At Big Night Out you can rent your own pod suitable for four or six close friends — whom you trust, of course — to share in during the event. Saturday, the Marcus King Trio and Futurebirds take the stage, followed Sunday by Big Boi and Friends featuring KP the Great closing out the weekend.

Presented by Rival Entertainment — Georgia State Stadium’s Inaugural concert featuring Foo Fighters, ONE Musicfest at Central Park & Centennial Olympic Park, the infamous three-day Outkast ATLast reunion, and Prince’s last live concert — the three-night event (tickets sold separately for each night, no overnight camping in the pods is available) will adhere to state of Georgia and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Each pod — you may choose one that’s eight feet by eight feet or eight feet by 12 feet, depending on whether you share it with four or six people — will be spaced six feet apart, so that when you are entering your pod, you don’t come in close proximity with others. Also, as per the CDC for outdoor gatherings, health checks will be administered (in the form of temperature readings, you won’t have to bend over and cough); face masks will be required at all times; plenty of touch-point hand-wash and sanitation stations will be available; and, it goes without saying, social distancing is mandatory at all times you are outside of your pod. Inside the pod, anything goes. Well, almost anything. The pods will be transparent.

Park capacity will be reduced by 90 percent each evening to keep concert-goers safe, and special precautions will be taken backstage for performers,  crew, and staff.

Pod pricing & ticket information: Tickets are available for each individual show Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Four-person and six-person pods are available. Whole pod purchases are required. No individual tickets, though two-, three-, and four-person pod tickets are now available in the Back Lawn section only, by selecting the desired number of tickets.

• Back Lawn: $50.00 per person (two-, three-, and four-person pods)
• Upper Lawn: $60.00 per person (four-person pods only)
• Middle Lawn & Side Lower Lawn:  $80.00 per person (four- and six-person pods)
• Lower Lawn (Nearest Stage): $100.00 per person (four- and six-person pods)

Add to those prices 8.9 percent sales tax, $5 per person park fee, and a Freshtix processing fee, and you’ll have an idea of your costs. Food and drink, purchased via cashless transactions, are also available.

Centennial Olympic Park, 265 Park Avenue West NW, 30313. Doors 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. show.