Is It Safe for Us to Be Together Again? Identity, Trust, and Perceived Risk at Mass Events During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Three years after the outbreak of COVID-19, governments are still working toward a return to “normal life.” Yet, the twin forces of ongoing disease threat and progressively relaxing restrictions raise important questions about whether, where, and when people feel safe. We analyzed data from post-event surveys of participants at live events held across Denmark between June and November 2021 (nindividuals = 4,932; nevents = 79). Consistent with the social identity model of risk-taking, identification with the audience, trust in others, and felt safety were interrelated. Multi-level modeling revealed that audiences responded to the heightened risk posed by crowds after COVID-related attendance restrictions were lifted, but also that individual differences in identification blunted the connection between crowd density at events and individual feelings of trust and safety. These findings point to a potential identity-based slippage between felt safety and actual safety in the context of collective participation and disease threat.