Sorry if this has already been posted but....festivals ?

[catherineofarrogance80]

Logically today we are not allowed to sit on our garden with a friend
And in a few months we can stand in a field with thousands of people
Do we think it's worth buying tickets at all?

Yes. Where’s the harm in it? If it happens, you go to a festival. If it doesn’t, you get a refund.

But that's essentially what you're saying you want?

We cannot save everyone. Not without killing more people in the long run.

No, I'm suggesting my preference would have been an unlocking schedule that didn't include very large 'residential' events in summer 2021, but the government has made a different choice.

It is tedious/pointless talking about this if any suggestion that the schedule could be slightly tweaked leads to 'you want everything shut forever'.

@lunapeace

People not letting their teenagers go to a festival because it won't be safe.... from Covid. Ok!

To be perfectly honest I don't feel it will be covid safe for DD 17, however i have to admit to using that as a little bit of an excuse when refusing to buy the tickets. I don't like her going to these things ( I know she has to grow up and enjoy her life) because they ate literally full of drugged up, drunken people. Who knows what could happen.

A similar demographic to that which attend music festivals will be going to universities in their hundreds of thousands shortly afterwards. Is that not 'safe' either?

I'm going to a festival in September (obviously if it goes ahead), looking forward to it.

Teenage demographic? checks festival bookings and senior railcard Other festivals are available!

I'm not sure some people here have been many festivals
Yes there are teenagers there but I'm in my 40's and don't feel much older than most other people attending
I'd put the average (median?) age at late 20's easily! It's nearly a hundred pounds a day before any extras. Definitely more working age than teenage attending ime!

I'm talking about Reading/Leeds. Not sure how much others cost.

I'm off to a 1 day festival in July that will mean a 4 hour train journey to get there and staying in a hotel for the weekend. I'm looking forward so much to it (it was postponed from last year). I don't care if the person next to me has been vaccinated or not, I will be so my chances of catching it will be slim to none. I shall enjoy myself no matter what.

A one day festival is a totally different proposition to a multi-day event involving camping.

If attending a four day festival the Kent variant potentially has time to arrive with person A, pass to person B, and then from person B to person C before the end of the event. That's, erm, not ideal in my view.

But we all know the government are happy to take risks, we will just have to see how it plays out in real life.

We are going to beat-herder this year. Cannot WAIT!

Oh and I'm off to an indoor 3 day festival in November as well.

I’ve never been to one personally as it’s really not my thing and my kids aren’t old enough yet but I really hope they go ahead and all the people that want to go can go and really enjoy themselves. Young people lack sometimes really struggle to see an end to things so I definitely think getting them things to look forward to in the not so distant future is a good thing.

@trappedsincesundaymorn

Oh and I'm off to an indoor 3 day festival in November as well.

Is it a fitness one? 😊

Yes my DD is in her first year at uni and has had a horrible time. We’ve paid for her ticket to Reading.

Tickets for a festival end of august in Wales. Tickets have been rolled over from last year. As it stands we can’t go anyway as I’m pregnant and due the same week but I wouldn’t really want to go anyway. I’m was secretly hoping it wouldn’t go ahead so we could roll our tickets over to next year and not have to worry about buying them again. They’ve officially said they’re starting to plan but under Welsh government guidelines so who knows what will happen.

@IcedPurple

A similar demographic to that which attend music festivals will be going to universities in their hundreds of thousands shortly afterwards. Is that not 'safe' either?

The point is that both of those will add to the national risk of extra spread and new variants. One is arguably more valuable than the other though. Just because you do one doesn't mean it's sensible to do both.

Also... they are outdoor events but also not - there's a lot of drinking in tents and public transport to get there will be rammed.

There is an infection cost to everything, social and economic benefits to everything. It's not a no-brainer that every event is worth going ahead with. Sometimes the epidemiological costs might be that bit too high.

Fembot123

It's a music one...I will be dancing along so that counts as fitness right??

The point is that both of those will add to the national risk of extra spread and new variants. One is arguably more valuable than the other though. Just because you do one doesn't mean it's sensible to do both.

The number of people attending music festivals - if they go ahead - will be tiny compared to the number of students in universities up and down the land however.

@IcedPurple

The point is that both of those will add to the national risk of extra spread and new variants. One is arguably more valuable than the other though. Just because you do one doesn't mean it's sensible to do both.

The number of people attending music festivals - if they go ahead - will be tiny compared to the number of students in universities up and down the land however.

But all year this is what we have been doing. Its been safe for my kid to go to school but not safe for same kid to go to a sleepover with kids from their class.

Plus we will be no where near every adult being vaccinated. The amount of people refusing is massive.

The amount of people refusing is massive

This is simply false. Vaccine take up has been very high, exceeding expectations even in one of the most pro-vaccine countries in the world. Take up may be lower in younger groups, but it's still likely the majority if not vast majority will have the vaccine.

Have decided not to go to a Festival this year due to disappointment of possibility of it being cancelled and not really sure that I want to mix that closely with others yet anyway.

Really hope to go next year though.

@IcedPurple

The amount of people refusing is massive

This is simply false. Vaccine take up has been very high, exceeding expectations even in one of the most pro-vaccine countries in the world. Take up may be lower in younger groups, but it's still likely the majority if not vast majority will have the vaccine.

76% of NHS workers in London are refusing the jab. Herd immunity requires 85%+. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/28/quarter-nhs-staff-areas-refusing-covid-vaccines/

Sometimes the epidemiological costs might be that bit too high.

I agree this should be a national discussion but I think the UK has bought into a lockdown-unlock mindset and there's no budging it. We will just have to see how it goes.

I'm disappointed we are going to run cases up again over summer, but as we are where we are.

@Crockof

Nice bit of cherry picking there!

Click on this link and look at the graphs. Take up has been extremely high on the whole. Saying refusal is 'massive' is just false.

www.bbc.com/news/health-55274833