Festivals and large events

[SilverGlitterBaubles]

What are the thoughts about the likelihood of festivals and large events going ahead this summer? Some have already cancelled due to uncertainty but given recent developments it seems increasingly uncertain. Even if they can do ahead there is no indication of if there will be restrictions on numbers or requirements like negative tests. DD is really looking forward to some events this summer but I fear a few days camping and hanging out with a few thousand people might not be on the cards for now.

I don’t think they will happen. They may be allowed to happen at the time, but there is so much uncertainty now and we won’t know for certain when restrictions will ease until a week before it happens so large events wont have enough time to get ready.

We have a dog show taking place next weekend not far from us. That hasn’t been cancelled and usually is very busy.

We also have a large event that we have tickets for in June that hasn’t been cancelled. Again loads of people together watching shows in the open.

The Indian variant seems to have fucked everything.

We've got one in two weeks time still going ahead. About 500 going

I guess there's a difference between festivals and live events in terms of size, type and whether it involves mass travel to the event and lots of people staying on site.

Yes, I think when you’re staying on site it’s a bit different because usually at a festival you’ll have lots of tents quite close together, and you’ll be sharing taps to get drinking water, troughs with taps where people either wash dishes (it’s cold water only), brush teeth or wash hands after the loo, then if you want a shower (which we do, as we are middle aged and stay on site for a week!), you have to queue and then share a shower in a sort of lorry with lots of others...obviously there are doors to separate cubicles but everyone is quite close together and it’s always rather steamy inside...all of that is ok normally but during a pandemic? I dunno, it makes me feel a bit icky.

(And I don’t think that really compares to a one-day event or a dog show etc)

@SilverGlitterBaubles

I didn't personally but the organisers of Reading, Leeds and others obviously did and still do. Lots of young people have bought tickets on the strength of their confidence that they would go ahead and Boris's promises that life would return to normal in June.

I can say 99% it won't be going ahead, The organisers will have money in the bank though 😏