Organized events no longer have capacity limits or physical distancing restrictions and are allowed on campus in alignment with the protocols listed below. This guidance applies to events and gatherings including, but not limited to, celebrations, dances, lectures, forums, performances, rallies, social gatherings, concerts, speaker presentations, and conferences. It does not apply to academic classes, research activities or normal, daily campus operations.
The protocols are in alignment with guidance from the California and Los Angeles County public health departments and in some cases surpass state and county requirements. They will be in place until at least Dec. 1. For more information, see Temporary Protocol for Organized Events (PDF).
Indoor events and performances
Face masks: Masking is mandatory at all indoor events of any size. Attendees should also wear masks while waiting in line to enter the venue.
Requirements for entry: Event organizers will be responsible for making the following verifications for entry and affirming in writing to the venue manager that they have done so.
UCLA students, faculty and staff attending an indoor event must show their Symptom Monitoring Survey clearance certificate for that day to gain entry.
Non-affiliates — those attendees who are not members of the UCLA community — must show proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours.
- Results of both PCR and antigen tests are acceptable as proof.
- Attendees showing proof of a negative test must provide a photo ID and documentation from a test provider or lab (either printed or on a smartphone) that includes the test result, the person’s name, the date of the test and the type of test.
For indoor mega-events — those with 1,000 or more attendees — it is the responsibility of the venue manager to verify all attendees’ full vaccination status or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours. (See the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s guidance on verifying COVID-19 vaccinations (PDF) and verifying negative COVID-19 tests (PDF) for details.)
Food and drink: Eating and drinking are generally prohibited at indoor events. Event organizers who want to serve food must do so in outdoor areas or provide to-go food items. (See exceptions to the food prohibition at indoor events below.)
Performers: Per guidance from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, performers like singers or those playing brass or woodwind instruments at indoor events must wear face masks except when they are performing a task that cannot feasibly done while wearing a mask.
Outdoor events and performances
Face masks: At most outdoor events, masks are not required, but it is strongly recommended that attendees wear masks when they are in settings in which it is difficult to maintain a distance of at least 3 feet from other attendees. (However, masking is required while waiting to enter and exit the venue or use the restroom.)
Masks are required at all outdoor events with 1,000 or more attendees.
Requirements for entry: Event organizers will be responsible for making the following verifications for entry and affirming in writing to the venue manager that they have done so.
UCLA students, faculty and staff attending an outdoor event must show their Symptom Monitoring Survey clearance certificate for that day to gain entry.
Non-affiliates — those attendees who are not members of the UCLA community — must show proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours.
- Results of both PCR and antigen tests are acceptable as proof.
- Attendees showing proof of a negative test must provide a photo ID and documentation from a test provider or lab (either printed or on a smartphone) that includes the test result, the person’s name, the date of the test and the type of test.
For outdoor mega-events — those with 10,000 or more attendees — it is the responsibility of the venue manager to verify all attendees’ vaccination status or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours. (See the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s guidance on verifying COVID-19 vaccinations (PDF) and verifying negative COVID-19 tests (PDF) for details.)
Where indoor food is permitted and prohibited
The prohibition on food and drink at indoor events extends to indoor departmental meetings and employee celebrations held in departmental spaces.
However, indoor dining is permitted at events held at formal campus restaurant establishments and dining halls, which follow the Los Angeles County Department of Health’s best practices for food and beverage services (PDF) and guidance for higher education institutions (PDF).
It is also permitted at formal catering venues managed by UCLA Housing & Hospitality, the Luskin Conference Center and ASUCLA, provided that dining capacity is reduced to 50% to 75% of normal occupancy. In situations in which reduced indoor capacity is difficult to achieve, the venue manager should consider moving the event outdoors, either fully or partially.
In all cases, outdoor dining is preferred and should be considered first.
