Few comedians are popular enough to nearly sell out a 20,000-seat arena — or ban cellphones at their shows.
But Kevin Hart is an exception.
Hart will bring his Reality Check tour to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Thursday and Friday.
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Cellphones are not invited. Neither are smartwatches and other devices.
“At the request of the tour and artist, the event will be a phone-free experience. Use of phones will not be permitted in the arena,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment said in a press release. Monumental owns and operates Capital One Arena.
Fans will be required to lock their devices in pouches made by the company Yondr. Devices must stay in the pouches unless fans visit a designated use area.
Fans won’t have to hand over their devices — everyone will hold onto their own pouch.
Yondr staff routinely sanitize the pouches, the release says.
Anyone seen using a device during the show will be escorted out of the arena by security, Monumental says.
Hart has been running phone-free shows throughout his tour.
He also isn’t the first comedian to have fans lock up their tech. D.C.-bred Dave Chappelle has reportedly been using Yondr for years, and musician Jack White has also banned phones at his shows.
Hart’s shows are set to begin at 7 p.m. both days.
Weekend tickets are especially in high demand: Tickets to Friday’s show are listed for $315 and up on Ticketmaster (Thursday’s tickets cost a fraction as much).
Fans should also note Capital One Arena’s strict no-bag policy. Small clutches up to 5 by 7 inches are allowed. Medical and parenting bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 inches are the exception. Here’s more information.
