OK, MTV Video Music Awards won't be held at Barclays Center but rather dispersed to outdoor stages around NYC

Oh, well.

The 6/29/30 announcement by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that the MTV Video Music Awards would return to the Barclays Center Aug. 30, with limited or no audience (and later clarified to no audience), has been overtaken by a decision not to hold an indoor event at all, but rather several outdoor performances around the city.

That's a blow to arena managers' efforts to resume some revenue-producing events. That said, according to former arena executive Irina Pavlova, the arena operator would've incurred a loss.

The VMAs are a “reputational” special event to put a venue on the map. It’s not a money-maker even in the good times. As a special event, it’ll have its own sponsors which don’t benefit the arena. Also huge load-in/out times, big egos etc = high costs that the venue absorbs

— Irina Pavlova (@TheRealPavlova) August 8, 2020

Page Six reported yesterday:

A source told Page Six earlier this week that some staffers expressed they did not feel safe going ahead with the show. But another source said the decision to nix the indoor show was due to a number of safety factors.

Variety noted:

The decision may have been some time in coming, as Barclays Center had no longer been mentioned as the host site in recent announcements about talent being added for the telecast.

Note: while it's plausible that the event could be held inside Barclays Center in 2021, at least without an audience, that's by no means certain.