Dragon Gate To Hold Events With Fans Starting In July, Reveals COVID-19 Protocols

Dragon Gate will resume shows with fans in attendance starting in July.

The company announced on social media that the first of these shows with fans allowed in attendance is July 4 in Kyoto, Japan. Following that event, more shows will take place on July 5 (Kyoto), July 10 (Aichi), July 15 (Tokyo), July 18 (Ishikawa), July 19 (Hyogo) and July 23 (Fukui). There was a planned show on July 26 at Kobe World Kinen Hall, but the company noted that it has been postponed due to it being a difficult date to run under current circumstances.

In addition, Dragon Gate unveiled its COVID-19 protocols that it implores fans attending these events to read. Below are the protocols.

As planning for the resumption of regular touring reaches its final stages, we have outlined the following rules & regulations in regards to prevent further spread of Covid-19. We ask for cooperation from all of our guests to create a safe environment for all that attend.

Before attending a live event, please read and perform a self check of the below rules and requirements. If you find that you fall under one of the following categories, we ask you to refrain from attending. For those that plan on attending in a group, please confirm amongst all members of the group.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms of Covid-19:

・A fever of over 37.5°C/99.5°F

・Cough, sneezing, sore throat, fatigue or any other flu-like symptoms

・Loss of taste or smell

・Shortness of breath

・Any other unusual health issues

If you or someone close to you (family, co-worker, etc) have previously tested positive for Covid-19, or have concerns about being infected.

If you have traveled to one of the countries where travel has been restricted or quarantine has been mandated by the Japanese government within 14 days of the day of the event. Also, if someone close to you falls under this criteria.

We ask our elderly or pregnant guests, or those with a respiratory illness or other underlying conditions to exercise caution and proper judgement before deciding to attend an event.

For guests who will be attending an event outside of their area of residence, please follow the guidance and rules of the event locality.

Regarding tickets and arena seating

The number of seats made available at each event will be decided in cooperation with the venue management and will be handled within social distancing guidelines. The space between seats will be wider than usual. For venues with fixed seating, it will not always be possible to assign adjacent seats. We ask our guests to always enjoy the event from the seat assigned to their ticket.

There will be occasions where the amount of seats available will be drastically reduced from the usual amount. In these cases, there will be adjustments to ticket prices.

Staff at the box office for reservation pickup and same day sales will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields when necessary. They will also regularly sanitize and disinfect the area and themselves.

We ask guests that queue at the box office to observe social distancing guidelines. For guests attending in groups, we ask that you delegate one member of your group to stay in the queue.

There are expected to be times where the queue becomes crowded. We recommend coming to the venue well ahead of time. We ask our guests to prepare exact change for their box office purchases whenever possible. Any acceptance or payment or returning of change will be done by tray.

Regarding merchandise sales

Merchandise tables will be available with reduced scope & capacity. We ask our guests to maintain appropriate social distancing when coming to make purchases.

Sales staff will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields when necessary. The sales area will be regularly disinfected. We ask for guest cooperation to ensure a speedy transaction.

Cooperation during venue entrance

We ask guests to observe social distancing rules while queuing for entry.

We ask guests to wear face masks at all times. A limited number of masks will be made available, but we strongly urge guests to bring their own.

Staff will be conducting contactless temperature checks and enforcing hand sanitization rules. Guests that register a temperature above 37.5°C/99.5°F will not be allowed entry into the venue.

Entrance time will be longer than usual due to the temperature checks. We ask guests to arrive as early as possible.

In the event that a guest is not granted entry into the building, their ticket will be refunded on premise.

Guests will be asked to tear their own ticket stubs and deposit them into a box. We also ask that guests write their name and a contact method (mobile phone number, etc) on the half that is deposited. Please do this ahead of attendance. This information will only be used in the event of a detected infection at the event.

Cooperation inside the venue during the event

Please wear masks that cover your mouth and nose at all times.

Please use hand sanitizer and wash your hands when necessary. Hand sanitizer stations will be installed and paper towels will be made available in bathrooms. We also recommend carrying a personal supply of hand sanitizer or sanitizing sheets.

Follow coughing etiquette

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html

Please enjoy the event from your assigned seat and avoid any unnecessary movement around the venue. Please do not approach the entryway or the wrestlers. Please support your favorite wrestlers from your seat and please refrain from using loud voices. For the time being, the use of support banners and flags will be prohibited.

Outside food is prohibited. To prevent heatstroke, water or other hydrating drinks will be allowed. Please take the usual care to hydrate.

Please observe social distancing rules during conversation with other guests.

Events will be held without intermission. It is advised to make use of restrooms before the matches start. Smoking areas will not be available. Re-entry to the venue will not be allowed.

For the time being, Handshake, photo opportunities, & autograph signings will not be available. This includes post-match autograph table & fan club photo opportunities. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

We will not accept gifts for the wrestlers.

Please depart from the venue in an expeditious manner after the event has ended.

Please notify a staff member immediately if you become unwell during an event. If the circumstances are severe, please leave the venue straight away.

If you are diagnosed with Covid-19 within two weeks of attending a live event, please notify us immediately at the below email address:

ticket-info @ dg-pro.jp (Japanese)

info @ shop-dg.com (English)

DRAGONGATE will undertake the following measures to create a safe experience for guests

Venues will be well ventilated both before and during the event. Seats will be cleaned & disinfected prior to the event.

Wrestlers & staff will be equipped with masks at all times (with the exception of during matches). Wrestlers & staff will also observe social distancing with guests.

Locker room & backstage areas will be equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfectant. All wrestlers and staff will also undergo temperature & wellness checks before events.

We ask for cooperation from all of our guests to prevent further spread of Covid-19 and make live events a safe experience for everyone. We reserve the right to eject any guest that does not follow these guidelines or is otherwise acting in a disruptive way.

In other recent Japanese wrestling news, NJPW started resuming events and will also hold shows with fans allowed in the coming weeks.