Latitude festival-goers 'can jump, dance and hug in safety'

The organiser of the Latitude Festival has said Covid testing meant those attending this month's event could "jump, dance and hug" in safety.

Anyone attending the festival must show proof of a negative lateral flow test or double vaccination.

The event in Suffolk starts three days after the government expects to lift all limits on social contact.

Melvin Benn said: "I'm looking forward to opening the gates more than anything that you could possibly imagine."

The 40,000-capacity event at Henham Park is part of the government's events research programme (ERP).

"It will be quite an emotional moment for me and I think it will be emotional for the music industry at large as it really will be the first event that opens properly as a camping event anywhere in the world," said Mr Benn, managing director of the Festival Republic Group.

He said a number of ministers and MPs would be at the the four-day event, which begins on 22 July.

Musical headliners will include Wolf Alice and the Chemical Brothers.

Mr Benn said the "core preventative measure happens before you arrive" at Latitude.

"That means that if you're jumping up and down, waving your arms around, having a hug with somebody, you know that that person that you're enjoying the music with, that you're enjoying the theatre with, that you're enjoying the dancing with, they're also tested clear of Covid at the same time, so it provides that security and safety that everybody's looking for," he said.

"I'm spending more time talking to government ministers and DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) officials than I'm talking to bands and managers and agents at the moment.

"The truth is there are a number of ministers and MPs coming to the event... as members of the general public, so they know exactly what it is."

Mr Benn worked with the ERP on May's pilot music festival in Liverpool, attended by 5,000, and on a reduced-capacity Download Festival attended by 10,000 last month, down from the usual 110,000.

He said results from Download were not yet available but there had been "no alarm calls" since.

Reading and Leeds festivals will take place in August, with about 190,000 due to attend in total.

"I think that's going to be a hell of a party period, a great weekend for us all, but of course we'll be watching the guidelines and following the procedures that the government want us to do," he said.

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