NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There's some new changes to keep in mind if you plan on seeing your favorite artists at Simmons Bank Arena – and it involves the method of payment you can use at the venue.
"Every incremental thing we can to do help people feel better about coming is something we need to look at and evaluate and in this case, go ahead and do," Michael Marion, General Manager for the arena, said.
Saturday marks some farewells and hellos for them – Elton John's 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour, and the beginning of no more cash payments.
"A trend that's been coming and will continue and we want to participate and be a part of it," Marion said. "We know there might be a hiccup or two, but we're going to be optimistic that it's going to be a good experience for everyone."
Cash will no longer be accepted anywhere inside the arena, except for the box office – Marion said that's a small part of the business they do, though.
Instead, cards are the only form of payment accepted. From food vendors to merch stands, they'll only accept cards. Saturday's Elton John show is the first run of this.
"Most people have a card," Marion said. "They're going to buy whatever they want from us, use it, and go on down the road just like they've been buying groceries with it."
Marion said it's a big ask for such a big show, but he's confident.
He said other venues have already made the switch to being cashless, so it begs the question – why not do this sooner?
Marion said there's various reasons why.
There were no shows for over a year at the arena, and the pandemic changed constantly – they never felt comfortable doing this before.
At the end of the day though, Marion said they made the right choice to keep everyone safe.
"So we feel like this is something we need to do for our patrons to limit the amount of contact they have with people," he said. "You know, that's what we're all about these days is trying to be safe in a COVID kind of way."