After it was reported that Kanye West’s upcoming Donda listening event at Chicago’s Soldier Field stadium would not require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or proof of a negative COVID test, representatives for the stadium told TMZ that Soldier Field will do on-site vaccinations the day of the event. ASM Global Management, which runs Solider Field, partnered with the city of Chicago to secure 1,500 doses of vaccines split between the two-shot Pfizer version and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula. For anyone getting the Pfizer dose, Department of Health officials will help set up a second appointment.
A similar program at the Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Kanye held the first two listening events, reportedly only yielded a small number of vaccinations, but with the Delta variant spreading, perhaps Chicagoans will be more eager to inoculate themselves. Other safety measures will include a reduced capacity — only 38,000 will be allowed into the 63,000-capacity venue.
Fans have been led to expect a more elaborate production than those who attended the Atlanta show as well, as Kanye is apparently pulling out several of the stops to ensure his hometown event has much more to see — including a replica of his childhood home that was reportedly being built on the stadium field. Hopefully, with this third event, he’ll be more satisfied with the version of the album he’s putting forth because any more delays may end up costing him more than just stadium rental fees.
