In-person Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2021 induction ceremony to be held in Cleveland

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena
(Image credit: Rocket Mortgage)

After 2020’s ceremony took place virtually, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced plans to host an in-person event later this year.

The 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on October 30 in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Arena, which is set to be the largest venue ever to host the prestigious event.

The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Arena has been favored over the ceremony’s usual Cleveland venue, the Cleveland Public Auditorium, and has the potential to host up to 20,000 people.

Rock Hall's move to the FieldHouse is also part of a multi-year deal, which will see the venue host future induction ceremonies.

In a statement, Rock Hall said, “FieldHouse provides a new and truly world-class venue that prioritizes health and safety, and offers increased space and flexibility to host the Induction Ceremony in Cleveland as part of a multi-year partnership."

However, despite the increase in size, it remains to be seen if the venue’s capacity will be limited due to the pandemic, with the FieldHouse currently approved for only 25% of its normal capacity.

Of these concerns, Rock Hall CEO and President Greg Harris said, “Ticketing capacity is an important question these days as we move through the health challenges of our nation but also get reopened again.

“Ticket on-sale announcement will be in July,” he elaborated. “Until then, we’re going to monitor best practices and make sure that however we’re seating the event, we’re doing it in a careful way.”

Nominees for the 2021 award include guitar heavyweights Rage Against The Machine, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden, as well as a number of artists who are traditionally positioned outside the rock sphere, such as rappers Jay Z and LL Cool J.

Head over to Rock Hall for more information about the upcoming event and to see a full list of nominees.

Matt Owen
Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.