Camping World Stadium hosting first live event during pandemic

ORLANDO, Fla. - Camping World Stadium in east Orlando is back to hosting major events. Thousands of people will fill the stands this weekend for Supercross.

"It’s exciting. We live for lights on in this industry," said Allen Johnson, chief venues officer for the City of Orlando.

 Ten thousand tickets were sold for this weekend's Supercross event, according to Orlando Venues. Capacity is capped to safely distance the crowd around the 60,000-seat stadium. Seating will be in pods of parties up to eight people.

"Masks required and enforced," Johnson said.

There is signage to remind ticketholders of health protocols and floor markers to space people throughout the venue.

"We’re going to make it as safe, from our end, so they are comfortable," Johnson said.

He says ticket sales tell him that people are ready to return to events.

"I think people are starving for live entertainment," he said.

The reopening of Camping World Stadium isn’t just good for folks looking for entertainment, it’s also another step toward economic recovery for Orlando.

"Having these events happen again, allowing larger crowds to get together, are an important part of becoming whole again after this pandemic-related recession," said Sean Snaith, director at the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida.

Pre-pandemic, the stadium hosted nearly 500,000 people in a single year. That’s half a million people contributing to the local economy.