5,000 people to attend Covid pilot concert with no social distancing in just two weeks as lockdown eases
FIVE thousand music lovers will be allowed to attend a concert in Liverpool in just two weeks time as lockdown measures continue to ease.
The pilot event - at Sefton Park on May 2 - will have no social distancing and attendees will not have to wear masks and could pave the way to more outdoor events, ministers revealed today.
🔵 Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest updates
However, those lucky enough to get a ticket to the "near normal" event will have to provide proof of a negative Covid test before being allowed in.
Indie band Blossoms will headline the gig which will also feature The Lathums and Liverpool singer-songwriter Zuzu.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he hoped the Events Research Programme (ERP) test event would mean the wait for gigs to return would not be "too much longer".
Operating slightly below its capacity of 7,500, researchers on site will examine the movements and behaviour of the 5,000-strong crowd.
As the event is part of a scientific experiment, tickets can only be purchased by Liverpool City Region residents.
The news comes as it is revealed Brits are “on track” to meet inside pubs next month after making “positive progress” during lockdown.
April 12 saw non-essential shops, gyms, indoor swimming pools and shopping centres throw open their doors once again after months shut.
And from May 17, Brits will be able to meet inside - still following the rule of six or two households restriction. Hospitality venues will also be allowed to serve customers indoors.
The same day will also see a chance for Brits to finally be able to head to some entertainment venues with cinemas and museums allowed to open their doors.
Theatre and concert performances - along with sports events - will also start to allow 1,000 people, or 50% of the venue's capacity - whichever is lower - to start again.
News of the May 2 gig comes as ministers and scientists look to assess the safety of outdoor settings for masses of people not wearing face masks.
Ticket-holders will be required to take a lateral flow test at a local testing centre before entry, to trial the role such facilities could play in the return of large-scale events, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) officials said.
The gig-goers will also have to provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be reached in the event of a positive test.
Cabinet minister Mr Dowden said: "We're one step closer to a summer of live events now our science-led programme is under way.
"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 ... I hope it won't be too much longer until gigs are back for good."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the results from the event would "inform our approach to ensuring future big events can take place safely".
"By trialling a range of measures to reduce transmission, we are able to gather vital evidence to inform our plans for allowing events in the future," he said.
"I am hugely grateful to scientists and clinicians working hard across the country so we can start to enjoy these events again safely."
The event will be organised by music promoter Festival Republic in partnership with Culture Liverpool.
Claire McColgan, director of Culture Liverpool, said: "We should all be proud of the fact we're part of this brave endeavour which looks to get this vital sector back up and running and resilient once again."
Greg Parmley, chief executive of Live, the UK's live music industry body, said: "The addition of an outdoor music event in the line-up of ERP pilot shows is a hugely positive development and brings the summer festival season one step closer."
The first event as part of the scientific trial began on Saturday with the World Snooker Championships.
Most read in News
The Championships are due to run until May 3, welcoming up to 1,000 spectators a day to the Sheffield Crucible Theatre to test an indoor seated setting.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton on Sunday will host an audience of 4,000.
The information gathered from events as part of the Events Research Programme will be crucial to how all venues - from major sport stadiums and theatres to wedding venues, conference centres and nightclubs - could operate safely this summer, DCMS said.