The Zurich theater spectacle on the Landiwiese attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The festival, which lasts more than two weeks, will also be held this year - but differently than usual: a Covid certificate is required in closed rooms. If you don't have one, you can have yourself tested free of charge at the on-site test center and receive a certificate.
Festival director: “We want to make sure that people are welcomed to our event”
"It's important to us that the event is inclusive," says Veit Kälin, the technical director of the festival. Means: Everyone should be able to participate – vaccinated and unvaccinated. "At the moment, the certificate is a measure that enables us to safely welcome people to our event."
However, Kälin is critical of a fundamental obligation to have a certificate for cultural events: “That would mean that not everyone might have access or that the number of visitors could decrease. We're already noticing that ticket sales are going rather slowly." The hurdle Covid certificate is currently still high. But maybe in a year it will be as normal as wearing a mask, which recently was unthinkable for many.
Free tests as a prerequisite for compulsory
For the Association of Swiss Theater Workers it is important that the theaters can decide for themselves whether they want to request a certificate or not. Co-President Cristina Galbiati says: “But if it were to become mandatory, we would need free tests so that nobody is excluded.”
Cinemas are also skeptical about the certificate. Alexandra Sterk is the managing director of Sterk Cine AG and operates three cinemas in the canton of Aargau. “We already have a drop in visitors due to the pandemic. If customers are only allowed in with a certificate, I can only let employees work who have a certificate.” The association also fears that it will not be able to guarantee the controls. The President of the Swiss Cinema Association, Edna Epelbaum, says: "In cinemas with several performances a day, this effort is very large, too large."
The hotel industry association fears a drop in guests
The President of the Federal Vaccination Commission, Christoph Berger, believes that organizers who require a Covid certificate could only win. "With the certificate you can hold more events than without, and a certificate only means for those who are not vaccinated that they have to take a test, that's not too tragic."
Nevertheless, Hotellerie Suisse, the association of the accommodation industry, also fears a drop in guests if a certificate were required. President Andreas Züllig: “We cannot afford to turn away guests. We are happy for everyone who comes to us."
