BTS didn’t woo an entire planet with their excellent pop tracks and perfect dance moves just to put themselves at risk during a pandemic. Luckily, MTV agrees, which is why the network announced Friday that its upcoming Video Music Awards, currently scheduled for Sunday, August 30, will not be held inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center as planned (and as sanctioned by Governor Cuomo).
“In close consultation with state and local health officials‎, it became clear at this time that outdoor performances with limited or no audience would be more feasible and safer than an indoor event,†MTV said in a statement reported by Deadline. “The VMAs will highlight the boroughs in an exciting show and return to Barclays Center in 2021. MTV will continue to work closely with the Department of Health, state and local officials, the medical community, and key stakeholders to ensure the safety of all involved.â€
Hopefully the show’s previously announced artists BTS, Doja Cat, and J. Balvin are breathing a masked, socially distanced sigh of relief over the news, not to mention whatever acts (purely hypothetically) shot down the mere idea of performing at an indoor concert mid-coronavirus outbreak.