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Florida concert promoter charging $18 for tickets if you're vaccinated, $1,000 if you're not

So far, no one has bought the full-price $1,000 ticket, but the promoter says if they do, they'll be treated just like everyone else.

A Florida concert promoter is getting creative with new ways to encourage his community to get vaccinated. At an upcoming punk-rock concert, he'll be charging $18 for tickets to people who are vaccinated and $1,000 to those who are not.

Paul Williams of Leadfoot Promotions came up with the idea while brainstorming how to book the concert in a quick and efficient way, according to local station WFTS. With vaccines becoming widely available for people in the state and new CDC guidelines allowing the return of live events, Williams thought that offering a discounted ticket to vaccinated concertgoers was the first step to doing the show safely and creating an incentive for more folks to go out and get vaccinated, he told WFTS.

“We’re just trying to do a show safely. And they should go out and get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families and their community,” Williams told WFTS.

Rauw Alejandro performs at Miami's Oasis on May 8, 2021 in Miami.
Rauw Alejandro performs at Miami's Oasis on May 8, 2021 in Miami.John Parra / Getty Images file

Earlier this month, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning vaccine passports in the state of Florida.

“In Florida, your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision," DeSantis said in a statement.

Knowing that he could not legally exclude non-vaccinated people from the concert venue, Williams said he encourages those who aren't vaccinated to buy the full-price ticket, and if they do, they'll be treated just like everyone else, he told WFTS.

Still, no full-price tickets coming in at $999.99 have been purchased.

The concert will take place on June 26 at VFW Post 39 in St. Petersburg, FL. In a promotion for the event on Facebook, requirements for the discounted tickets are laid out, saying, "To be eligible for the DISCOUNT, you will need to bring a government issued photo ID and your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (if you have lost it keep reading, we got you). You will need to have had your second shot of Pfizer or Moderna, or your single shot of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on or before 6/12/2021."

The concert will feature performances from punk-rock bands Teenage Bottlerocket, MakeWar and Rutterkin. Williams' vaccination incentive plan seems to have the support of the bands as well.

"We're all vaccinated. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated so we can see you in the pit," Ray Carlisle, singer and guitar player for Teenage Bottlerocket, told WFTS.

Williams compared this idea for a concert incentive to other businesses that have made special offers to vaccinated customers, and is hopeful that it will drive people to want to be vaccinated so they can get out and have good, safe fun.

"I also wanted it to be a vaccine drive to get the fence-sitters off the fence," Williams told WFTS. "I wanted to get the kids that want to go to shows to go out and get their shots."