After being canceled at the beginning of the year, the Download festival will return.
For three days the Download Pilot will host 10,000 attendees instead of the usual 80,000. As usual, it will take place with camp, June 18-20 at its Donington Park site in Derbyshire. Organizers have emphasized that moshing will be allowed.
It will be the first event of its kind to take place after restrictions due to the pandemic were relaxed.
Tickets are available from June 1 for fans with tickets to the 2022 festival (accumulated from the canceled editions of 2021 and 2020), and from June 3 for all others.
The event will be part of the government’s ongoing testing of large-scale shows, so attendees are expected to camp on site while it lasts, show a negative lateral flow test to enter, and perform a PCR test before and after later.
Promoters Festival Republic previously hosted a one-day test event in Liverpool on May 2, spearheaded by Blossoms.
According to the well-known festival´s website:
Downloaders, we couldn’t be more hyped to announce that we will be running a pilot event as part of the second phase of the Government’s Event Research Programme. It’s gonna be a 10,000 capacity camping festival in Donington Park!
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. That means you’ll be able to mosh, dance, hug your fellow Downloaders, and rock out without a mask or social distancing. Frankly, we can’t think of anything that sounds more awesome after 15 months away from our hallowed ground.
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.
There’s certain criteria the science bods need you to fulfil for their research (being over 16 is one example). Anyone who wants to attend will need to read and agree to a consent document first to ensure they understand the research process and meet these criteria before they can buy a ticket.
To say thank you for sticking with us through these tough times, Download 2022 ticket holders will be given first dibs for 48 hours on tickets for the pilot event.
You’ll need to take a Lateral Flow Test at home and it has to be negative for you to enter the event. If you test positive, don’t worry – you’ll be refunded. The researchers also need you to take a PCR test and drop it in a Priority Post Box before you get to the event. All you need to show at the gate will be your ticket, matching ID and your negative lateral flow test result (this will be shown as a text or email from the NHS). Five days after the event, you’ll be asked to take a second PCR test and send it back to the ERP. These post-festival tests are really vital to the research and you must send yours back!
We’ve missed all our Download fam so much and can’t wait to see you all again. This is going to be epic! \m/
It´s time to rock, downloaders! Get ready for some loud and live music!
