PEI

Audience capacity at Confederation Centre expanded to 300

More people are now permitted to watch live shows at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and that's having an impact on planning for next season.

New COVID-19 guidelines allow for more pods of 50

Steve Bellamy, CEO of the Confederation Centre for the Arts, says he hopes the capacity can be increased further, but plans for 2021 are moving ahead based on 300. (Laura Meader/CBC)

More people will now be permitted to watch live shows at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

CEO Steve Bellamy said up to 300 people are being allowed in the seats, up from 150 (three pods of 50) under previous COVID-19 restrictions.

"Now it's unlimited pods of 50, as long as they can be socially distanced and as long as the pods don't intermingle," he said.

"So for us, that means our theatre, which is normally 1,100 seats, now has a capacity of roughly one-third of that, or 300 seats."

Planning is underway for the 2021 Charlottetown Festival, which was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on capacity for 300.

Bellamy is hoping the numbers will increase further, but the centre has to budget to build shows that can survive with 300 people.

He said announcements about shows being slotted in for next year will be coming soon.

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With files from Angela Walker