The UK Government Is Testing Out A Non-Socially Distanced Music Festival

The UK is going to trial a 5,000 person non-socially distant outdoor event with headliner Blossoms. Their attempt to get the public back to live events safely will be based on this. With the government’s approval, let’s see if they can do this and return us back to a sense of normalcy. Their death toll and number of positive cases has been low, so it’s time to test.

Music promoter Festival Republic is hosting the show at Sefton Park in Liverpool, England on May 2nd. This momentous occasion is coming up quickly and suffice it to say, will not require masks! No 6ft spacing, cashless systems, or temperature checks but a negative COVID test is mandatory. All attendees will also take a rapid lateral flow test before and after the concert. What’s interesting is that they’re testing these local testing centers the guinea pigs for their future roles for large-scale events.

Movements and crowd behavior will be examined during this “research program”. Based on the results, researchers will establish how all venues should operate safely. The venues at hand include major sporting stadiums, theaters, conference centers, nightclubs, and more. With Glastonbury Music Festival canceled, the future of live entertainment has been uncertain in the UK for quite some time. Despite all the illegal attempts at bringing the good ol’ days back, it hasn’t been the same.

“We’re one step closer to a summer of live events [with] our science-led programme underway. Testing different settings and looking at different mitigations is key to getting crowds back safely. The Sefton Park pilot is an important addition to the programme. After many months without live audiences, Festival Republic is bringing live music back to fans with this very special event. I hope it won’t be too much longer until gigs are back for good.”

UK Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden

It will be exciting to see what their results yield and how the range of transmission is. This could pave the way for future events overseas.