Download Festival organisers have confirmed that it will make a small-scale return next month for a three-day camping pilot as part of ongoing research into the safe return of live music.
Organisers say that “moshing is allowed” when 10,000 fans descend on Donington Park from June 18-20.
Tickets will go on sale here from Tuesday (June 1) for all existing Download ticketholders. General sale will then take place from June 3.
The event will form part of the second phase of the UK Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, with a full line-up set to be announced this Friday (May 28).
Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn, who previously teased a camping pilot, said: “Following the huge success of our Sefton Park event, we are delighted to contribute to Phase II of the Government’s Events Research Programme with the creation of the first three-day camping festival which will be the Download Pilot at Donington Park.”
We're hyped to announce #DownloadPilot. A camping festival pilot in Donington Park, that’s part of the government’s Event Research Programme.
Priority access for DL22 ticket holders available on Tues 1st Jun. General sale Thurs 3rd Jun.https://t.co/mnsDqBoNCM pic.twitter.com/PPZ41jJEGL
— Download Festival (@DownloadFest) May 26, 2021
“This massive next step will help us understand and study the safe return of large-scale festivals with no social distancing or face masks over a full weekend… the return
of the full festival experience we have all been waiting for and a much needed return to work for musicians, backstage crew, caterers and many more that form part of the UK’s exemplary live music industry.”
All attendees must be aged over 16 and be willing to stay for the whole weekend, with no day tickets going on sale.
The first stage of the government’s events research programme saw thousands of music lovers attending a series of pilot events in Liverpool over the May Bank Holiday weekend, where the likes of Fatboy Slim and Blossoms played to a crowd without any Covid restrictions.
Just 15 people tested positive for Covid-19 following the event, with initial data suggesting that holding mass events without face masks and social distancing poses as little risk as going to a shopping centre or restaurant.
Download Festival will make a full return in 2022 with headline sets from KISS, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro.
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