The news that many of us were waiting for finally took place today as the Grand Ole Opry announced that live audiences would once again be welcomed at the Grand Ole Opry House beginning on Saturday October 3rd.
Grand Ole Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan and Terri Clark are scheduled to appear before an audience that will be limited to 500 fans. Those who had previously bought tickets for the October 3 birthday weekend show received an email this morning, giving those ticket holders the opportunity to purchase tickets before any remaining tickets were made available to the general public.
As the Opry gradually welcomes back ticket holders, the shows will continue to be limited to one hour and will be broadcast on Circle TV, You Tube, Twitter and Facebook, as well as on WSM. Tickets for the remaining shows in October will be available at a later date.
Here is the official announcement from the Opry this morning:
Celebrate something good with the Opry as we kick off our 95th anniversary celebration with our official birthday show on the Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry with performances by Opry members Dierks Bentley, Terri Clark, Vince Gill, and Lorrie Morgan with host Bobby Bones. You’ll see faces in the crowd for our celebrations as we welcome back a limited audience for the taping of the show for the first time since March 2020.
The Opry will welcome back up to 500 guests each Saturday in October to experience the Opry Live television and livestream filming. Fans who previously purchased tickets to the Grand Ole Opry shows prior to the COVID-19 shutdown will be given a presale opportunity to buy tickets. Should tickets be available for purchase following the presale, this information will be updated. More details for other Opry 95th Anniversary Celebration shows and digital events happening throughout the month of October will be announced soon.
The Grand Ole Opry will strictly comply with operating plans developed in partnership with the Nashville Public Health Department and Vanderbilt Health that include socially distanced seating, mandatory masks for all guests and staff, as well as enhanced cleaning practices.
Operating plans include:
• Exclusive to 500 ticketed guests
• Physically distanced seating, allowing those in the same group to sit together but distanced from others
• Mandatory masks for all guests, Opry House operations and production staff
• Designated restrooms, entry and exit points
• No food or beverage service
• Temperature checks for all staff
• Enhanced cleaning practices
As I wrote, this is great news and while the shows will be smaller in scope and with limited attendance, I am excited to see the Opry starting to get back to normal (as much as it can).
And for those wondering, yes, I have my ticket and will be attending next Saturday night.