Download festival is set to hold a special test event next month.
Taking place from 18th-20th June, Download Pilot will be a 3-day, 10,000 capacity festival – the first in the UK with camping since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Headlined by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Enter Shikari and Bullet For My Valentine, the bill will also feature sets from Boston Manor, Hot Milk, While She Sleeps, Creeper, Twin Atlantic, Yonaka, Loathe, Employed To Serve and loads more.
Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn explains: “Following the huge success of our Sefton Park event, we are delighted to contribute to Phase II of the Government’s Events Research Programme with the creation of the first three-day camping festival which will be the Download Pilot at Donington Park.
“This massive next step will help us understand and study the safe return of large-scale festivals with no social-distancing or facemasks over a full weekend. The return of the full festival experience we have all been waiting for and a much-needed return to work for musicians, backstage crew, caterers and many more that form part of the UK’s exemplary live music industry.”
Festival attendees will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings, but will have to follow rules set out by organisers including a negative lateral flow test to enter the site. They’ll also have to take a PCR test before and after the event and provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace.
