COVID-19 has taken a hit on live concerts and social festivities around the world, but Germany is taking a different approach.
Scientists have decided to throw a concert as an experiment to test how COVID-19 spreads in a live music environment.
The research project RESTART-19 wants 4000 concert-goers between the ages of 18 and 50 to participate free of charge.
The experiment is scheduled for August 22 at a concert hall in the city of Leipzig, a venue that has previously hosted concerts by the likes of Britney Spears and Rihanna.
University Medical Center Halle is conducting the study and hopes to identify possible framework conditions at large indoor events and what changes can be made to minimise the risk.
The results of the study can "help to develop a perspective for many sports clubs and creative artists, under which framework conditions it could be possible again for spectators to be admitted to major events", its website says.
RESTART-19 has received €990,000 (NZ$1.7 million) in funding from the federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.
Although it is a COVID-19 experiment, all participants must test negative for coronavirus 48 hours before the concert and masks must be worn at all times.
Participants will be given a contact tracer to measure the distance between the other participants. They will also be provided with a fluorescent hand disinfectant, which helps them track frequently touched surfaces.
Although volunteers will not get paid for this experiment, they do get to participate in a social gathering - something deprived by many, for months.
