Latitude Festival 2021 to be government test event

Organisers of Latitude have announced the festival will go ahead next month, as part of the government's series of test events.

The four-day event is due to be held at Henham Park in Suffolk from 22 July - three days after the government expects to lift all limits on social contact.

Musical headliners include Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, Bastille, Bombay Bicycle Club.

It will be part of the government event research programme (ERP).

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said his department was "working flat out to find a way to get festivals back up and running safely".

"It is brilliant that Latitude will go ahead as part of the events research programme and build on the success of our pilots at Download and Sefton Park," he said.

Ticket holders for the 40,000 capacity event will be asked for either proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours before arriving at the festival, or proof of full vaccination, the second dose having been received at least 14 days before the first day of attending the event.

Festival Republic, which operates Latitude and hosted the Sefton Park and Download events, said it would work with the ERP experts, scientists and the director of public health in Suffolk on the specific conditions of entry that will enable the festival to operate safely.

It said it would contact existing ticket holders with further details.

Festival director Melvin Benn said he had been "working extremely hard" to make sure the event could go ahead "safely at full capacity" and that everybody would be welcome as long as they meet the conditions of entry.

"Becoming an ERP event gives us the security of going ahead," he said.

"Crucially the additional research collected at Latitude will benefit all festivals and live events moving forward.

"After many months without live music and arts, we are ecstatic to return with a full-capacity festival.

"Restarting festivals is crucially important to the wellbeing of everyone in society and we hope that Latitude will be the first of many festivals to take place this summer."

Other acts confirmed to appear include comedians Bill Bailey, Katherine Ryan, Jo Brand, Reginald D. Hunter and Simon Amstell.

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