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Local entertainment venues scrambling to accommodate new capacity limits

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As of Saturday at 12:01 a.m., new limits of 50 per cent capacity will be implemented at indoor entertainment venues, sports stadiums and event spaces with an indoor capacity of greater than 1,000 people.

This means London Knights hockey games and various concerts at Budweiser Gardens will have fewer people in the seats as Ontario reduces capacity limits to combat the new Omicron variant.

Budweiser Gardens can hold up to 10,500 -- this latest restriction is a big hit.

“A lot of phone calls, a lot of texting, a lot of conversations to try and figure out different options,” says Brian Ohl, general manager of Budweiser Gardens.

Ohl says they’ve been scrambling since Wednesday's announcement, working with the London Knights, event promoters and artist management to try and come up with different scenarios that make sense for the patrons, artist and the venue.

“We went to 100 per cent capacity, we thought 'OK we’re through it,' that was prior to the latest variant. You know we’re just trying to deal with things as they come,” adds Ohl.

As of right now, Bud Gardens and the London Knights do not have an answer for ticket holders wonderinf if they'll be able to attend upcoming games.

In a statement to CTV News London the Knights said, “We are reviewing the situation to do the best we can for our fans and community.”

Once the best course of action is figured out, ticket holders will be notified with options.

Bud Gardens isn’t the only venue in the city affected.

 

“We will be greatly impacted by the new restrictions,” says vice-president of Operations for the London Music Hall, Demetri Manuel.

The London Music Hall can hold up to 1,930 patrons, and now they are trying to cut that number down to accommodate the new rules.

“We are either going to have to refund some concerts, and then we are going to have to talk to the bands, to see if it’s worth it for them to come into the market, if it’s worth it for them and if it’s worth it for us,” said Manuel.

Meanwhile, Jones Entertainment Group, which operates Centennial Hall, says they are focusing on 2022.

In a statement to CTV News London, the company said, “We have 18 events scheduled for February. We are watching closely, to see if they’ll need to be cancelled or capacity reduced.”

All the venues say they hope these restrictions don’t last for too long. After being shut down for the majority of the year, they do not want to be financially impacted again.

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