Download Pilot event could become the blueprint for outdoor music across the globe
10,000 ROCK FANS SET FOR FESTIVAL TEST
ALL eyes will be on Donington Park this weekend as 10,000 rock fans will be taking part in what could be the blueprint for future outdoor music festivals across the world.
The Download Pilot festival, with 40 bands over three days on two stages, will allow everyone to mix without social distancing, not wear masks and mosh, having tested for Covid before arrival and again afterwards.
It is a three-day camping-only weekend, starting today, with no day tickets available and with everyone encouraged to remain on site throughout.
Away from the festival, people will be required to follow the Government’s current guidelines on social distancing and mask wearing.
Here is a guide to attending the first major camping event of its kind since the pandemic began (including the weather):
Q: When is the Download Pilot festival taking place?
A: It is taking place from June 18 to 20 inclusive. Gates open at 2pm today. Music starts at 5pm. Music will finish at 11pm on Sunday, June 20.
Last entry on Friday is midnight. However, you can arrive on Saturday if you can’t make it for Friday. You can leave Sunday night or Monday morning.
Q: How many people will be allowed to attend the Download pilot?
A: A maximum of 10,000 on a much smaller and more self-contained site within Donington Park than usual. This is about 10 per cent of the people who usually attend a full-blown Download Festival. All tickets, which are camping-only, sold out within hours.
Q: Does this mean loads of traffic jams and diversions in the area?
A: People were not allowed on the site to set up camp until this morning.
Local diversions will be in place as the area is expected to be busy as people arrive.
People travelling to East Midlands Airport should allow extra time.
It is likely that it will be busy again later on Sunday night, or, more likely on Monday morning, as people start to leave the site.
Highways England says it is not expecting any major issues as the attendance is around 10 per cent of what is normal.
A spokesman said: “We have traffic officers ready to help out should any incidents occur that affect major A-roads or the motorway.”
Q; What’s different about this festival compared to other Download festivals?
A: Everybody on site will have taken a lateral flow test before entry and received a negative result and will have taken a PCR test too.
Researchers from Public Health England will be overseeing the study.
They will be gathering data on transmission risk, the suspension of social distancing and face coverings over several consecutive days. This data will help to ensure that events later this summer can go ahead safely.
Festival-goers will also need to take a lateral flow test at home and it has to be negative for them to enter the event. The researchers also need people to take a PCR test and drop it in a priority post box before they get to the event.
Five days after the event, people will be asked to take a second PCR test and send it back. The post-festival tests are really vital to the research.
Attendance at the Download Pilot will provide additional evidence for government, event organisers, and consumers on the logistical and practical considerations of reopening events safely, including multiday events.
Q: Are there as many bands and stages as usual?
A: There are only two stages this year, compared with four normally and there will be 40 bands instead of the usual 100 or so. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Enter Shikari and Bullet For My Valentine will headline on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Other names on the bill will include: Neck Deep, While She Sleeps, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls, Sleep Token and Creeper. The acts will appear across two stages.
Q: And finally, what about that all important weather forecast?
A: Well anyone going to the festival should definitely be prepared for a fair bit of rain and maybe some thunder as well. After all of the recent nice weather, it chooses today, Saturday and Sunday to give us a downpour.
According to the BBC Weather, today starts off early with a bit of light cloud but this turns to light rain from about 9am through the rest of the day. Temperatures are noticeably cooler than recently with an expected high of 16C dropping to 11C overnight into Saturday.
A yellow weather warning of thunderstorms was issued on Wednesday for Leicestershire, lasting through to 9am on Saturday.
But Saturday looks a bit brighter with sunny spells and cloud throughout much of the day and temperatures peaking around 19C in the late afternoon before dropping to a mild 13C overnight.
However, Sunday looks to be the worst day of all with rain forecast throughout the day, with the odd chance of a spot of sunshine but a chance of some thunderstorms during the afternoon.