Test events at nightclubs and concerts in England offer hope that crowds can return to summer festivals across Scotland
Test events staged in England without social distancing or face masks could pave the way for the return of large crowds to venues and stadia in Scotland over the summer, Nicola Sturgeon has pledged.
The First Minister pledged that the culture would be at the “very heart” of the Scottish Government’s plans to recover from the pandemic if the SNP is returnedtopowerinthisweek’s election.
And she said she hoped that that evidence gathered from a programme of pilots, which includedanightclubbingevent andamusicfestivalinliverpool at the weekend, would help "more normal events" return in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon also underlined a pledge that controversial guidelines issued ahead of the planned reopening of entertainment venues later this monthwouldbereviewed,after afuriousbacklashpromptedan intervention from her culture secretary Fiona Hyslop last week.
Itsmanifestoincludesapledge to provide a three-year funding settlement for arts organi
sations to help them recover from the impact of the Covid. However the SNP has stopped short of setting a date for when it envisages full-scale events resuming. Organisers of the Edinburgh festivals and the Tattoo are still planning to go ahead this summer,butfringevenueoperators have warned their plans will be totally unviable under the proposed restrictions for the summer.
The TRNSMT, Hidden Door and Doune the Rabbit Hole music festivals have both moved their dates later in the calendar in the hope that social distancing restrictions will be lifted by then. The Scottish Government has been under fire over new guidelines which insist that two metre social distancing must be enforced in venues after they are able to reopen from mid-may - in contrast to bars and restaurants, which can currently operate with one metre social distancing. Festival organisers, nightclub owners and concert promoters have demanded the SNP follow the UK Government by confirming a date for the ending of social distancing restrictions, which is currently due to happeninenglandattheendof next month.
Liverpool staged the UK’S first clubbing event, for around 6000people,on Friday.