The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards will be held in person at the Barclays Center on August 30, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday at a press conference.
Cuomo said the 36-year-old award ceremony would take place on location in Brooklyn, albeit with a limited or no audience. Social distancing precautions and capacity limits will be in effect, MTV said in a statement. The company said it will continue to “closely follow” the guidance of state and local government officials and its own team of medical experts.
New York City will enter Phase 3 of its four-stage reopening plan on July 6. That phase includes indoor dining, nail salons, and other personal care services like tattoo parlors.
The Barclays Center, like the city’s other event venues, has been closed since March after the city canceled all cultural and sporting events to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The plaza in front of the venue has become a central gathering space for Black Lives Matter protesters in recent weeks.
New York City cases continue to decline, and the city has avoided recent increases seen by states such as Arizona, Florida, and Texas. On Monday, the governor also said the state recorded seven deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday and that New York’s hospitalization rate on Thursday was the lowest since March 18.
The last time the Barclays Center hosted the show was in 2013. The venue has a capacity of approximately 19,000 seats.
Last year’s award show was at the Prudential Center in Newark, and the 2018 event was at Radio City Music Hall.
