Reading and Leeds Festival website crashes within MINUTES of organisers revealing music shows are back on - the first major event to announce it will go ahead after roadmap was unveiled
- Festival Republic say event will take place over August bank holiday weekend
- Line-up includes Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Post Malone and Lewis Capaldi
- Organisers have worked with Government to ensure it can happen as planned
- They say in tweet: 'We can't wait to get back to the fields this summer. Let's goThe Reading and Leeds Festival website crashed this afternoon after it was announced that the music event would be going ahead this summer.
Those trying to buy tickets for the festival on its site were met with a message saying: 'Error establishing a database connection' - but it later came back online.
It comes after Festival Republic confirmed that the double festival would take place at Little John's Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds this year.' The event will take place on the August bank holiday weekend, which will be two months after Boris Johnson plans to lift all coronavirus restrictions.The line-up includes Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi, and organisers have been working with the Government to ensure it can happen as planned.
Other acts include Post Malone, Queens of the Stone Age and Disclosure. Shortly after the announcement, Gallagher tweeted: 'READING n LEEDS c'mon you f***ers.'
The UK festival circuit has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic with its 2020 season mostly wiped out, and the Government launching an inquiry into their future.
And it comes as football supporters and sports fans could be back in stadiums within weeks under Government plans to test how coronavirus spreads in crowds.
Music fans at Leeds Festival at Bramham Park after watching Post Malone in August 2018
The festival is set to take place at Little John's Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds
Those trying to buy tickets or find out information about the Reading and Leeds Festival on the website were met with a message today saying: 'Error establishing a database connection'
A tweet on the festival's official Twitter page today said: 'Following the government's recent announcement, we can't wait to get back to the fields this summer. Let's go.'The sister events - known for their mix of rap, rock and pop - are due to take place between August 27 and 29 and will also feature Charli XCX and Yungblud.
How Reading and Leeds could operate at 13% and 23% capacity with social distancing
Reading could operate at 13 per cent of capacity while Leeds would be at 23 per cent if the festivals followed social distancing guidelines, a study found.
Geospatial analysis company Esri UK looked at how many people could hypothetically attend the festivals if they had to space out.
It found 13,970 festival-goers could fit within Reading's festival site compared to its 105,000 capacity, while at Leeds, 17,120 could attend instead of 75,000, or 23 per cent of the normal volume.
Reading could operate at 13 per cent of capacity - 13,970 instead of 105,000 - if all attendees following social distancing rules
The company also determined that if Glastonbury had gone ahead, only 5 per cent (4,967) of the Pyramid Stage's estimated 100,000 capacity would have been possible under the same social distancing formula.
The method used placed a single person inside a two-metre diameter circle, following the usual two-metre social distancing guidelines.
But this was with an additional two metres of space between each circle, allowing some space for people to move around, to represent a hypothetical estimation of festival capacity.
Leeds Festival could operate at 23 per cent of capacity- 17,120 fans instead of 75,000
Sam Bark, cartographer at Esri UK, said: 'We wanted to examine how many people could hypothetically fit within a festival site ahead of the summer festival season.
'Spatial analysis can help give event organisers an indication of capacity for any type of event, either outdoors or indoors.
'Obviously, the figures come with some caveats, as most festival goers are in groups of more than one and people don't remain stationary, but the criteria can be easily adjusted.
'For example, the size of bubbles can be increased, or additional space could be added between each bubble, which would reduce capacity further.'
It marks the first major summer event in Britain to be confirmed after the Prime Minister said on Monday that all Covid-19 rules are set to be dropped on June 21.
Social media users posted a series of congratulatory memes as people who had already bought tickets breathed a sigh of relief that the festival will still go ahead.
But others were left unimpressed by the news, with one tweeting: 'Let's go spreading Covid and putting us back in another lockdown, irresponsible if you ask me.'
Another said: 'Wow... gather a whole load of unvaxxed people together, throw social distancing out the window, no hand hygiene... result = kiss goodbye to next autumn and winter... thanks for announcing next year is cancelled too.'
And a third tweeted: 'For any of us who live near we know exactly what happens. Arrive long before often stay days later while going in and out major supermarkets often not washed due to the nature of festival camping. Thus major spreaders.'
It comes after the organisers Glastonbury Festival, the largest greenfield music festival in the world, last month cancelled the event for a second year running.
News is still awaited on other music festivals due to take place after June 21, including BST Hyde Park and Camp Bestival - as well as the Notting Hill Carnival.
By May 17 larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues, with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full, whichever is lower, will be allowed.
FR boss Melvin Benn told NME last month that the plans for Reading and Leeds were 'based on the vaccine first and testing second', adding: 'It could be a mix of both.'
He told how 'we can get away with shows purely on testing', continuing: 'It's immensely hard work, but operationally doable and hopefully unnecessary.'
Mr Benn said of their full capacity plan: 'The vaccination and verification that you've had it would give you that safety of knowing that you're not going to get super ill.'
The Prime Minister said yesterday he was 'very optimistic' that he will be able to fully remove all of the rules on June 21 but warned 'nothing can be guaranteed'.
And Mr Johnson urged the nation to be 'prudent' by continuing to follow the rules after publishing his road map to gradually lift the third national lockdown.
Meanwhile Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has been tasked with leading a review into the possible use of vaccine passports for people attending events.
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has launched an inquiry into the future of festivals.
Last month the committee wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ask him to extend Government-backed insurance schemes to music and performing arts festivals.
Festivals added £1.76 billion in gross value to the economy in 2019, with almost one in three Brits watching Glastonbury on TV.
It comes as football supporters and sports fans could be back in stadiums within weeks under Government plans to test how coronavirus spreads in crowds, once people have been vaccinated or tested.
Sports fans will be given the chance to have their fix of live action ahead of the Government's target date for the return of supporters on May 17, in return for participating in the mass trials.
The Government is already understood has already approached the Premier League, Football League and other sports to ask if they will be part of trials, which are set to begin in April - just five weeks away.
The line-up for this year includes Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Post Malone and Lewis Capaldi
Meanwhile, Lancashire County Cricket Club has said it is ready to participate in order to bring fans back next month.
Whitehall sources stress that fans will not be put at risk, with test events across sports and the arts starting small and the data examined at every stage as the numbers ramp up.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Number 10 are determined to proceed as quickly as possible with an eye on the showpiece Euro 2020 final at Wembley on July 11.
A full house there would show off post-Brexit Britain as fighting fit.
Liam Gallagher, pictured at Glastonbury in 2019, is one of the main acts at Reading and Leeds
Shortly after the announcement, Gallagher tweeted: 'READING n LEEDS c'mon you f***ers'
Melvin Benn is the managing director of Festival Republic which organises Reading and Leeds
Government officials have wasted no time and yesterday met with sports bodies to start the process of identifying suitable events, although no decisions have yet been taken.
The trials will use an adapted version of the NHS app, which will certify if a person has been vaccinated or tested negative.
The app can then be used to analyse any incidence of the disease or spread of Covid infections resulting from the event.
They will also trial rapid lateral-flow tests and potentially, home-testing kits.
The provision for test events is included in the government's roadmap to lifting lockdown measures and they will be crucial to enabling high-profile events, like Euro 2020 to accommodate large crowds.
The document published on Monday sets out a four-step process for easing restrictions, which includes the return of up to 10,000 fans from May 17 as part of step three and the possibility of full-houses at events from June 21 in step four.
The test events will build on those carried out last summer and the experience of fans returning to sport, albeit briefly and in small numbers, during the tiers system in December.
In August last year a carefully managed, socially-distanced test event at Brighton, when the Seagulls hosted Chelsea at the Amex stadium in front of more than 2,000 fans, did not cause an increase in local coronavirus transmission, according to a study carried out afterwards.
However, the risk of mass gatherings without distancing and in the absence of vaccination or tests are well documented.
Last year's Cheltenham Festival faced serious questions over the 'accelerated spread' of the virus after 100,000 racegoers attended in March, just 10 days before the start of lockdown.
Test events in 2020 relied on social distancing, hand washing and masks to keep people safe, while the ones now being developed will reduce distancing and place more emphasis on testing and vaccination, with rigorous data analysis afterwards.
They are expected to assess the impact of the level of vaccination among fans, the results of testing and the age and demographics of spectators.
'Over the spring the Government will run a scientific Events Research Programme,' the roadmap document states, with the first pilots taking place in April.
'This will include a series of pilots using enhanced testing approaches and other measures to run events with larger crowd sizes and reduced social distancing to evaluate the outcomes.'
Whitehall stresses that the test events are designed to gather data, not bring fans in 'by the back door'.
However, the events may ease the discomfort of the Premier League, which is facing a potential backlash from clubs at the prospect of playing away in front on home fans in the last round of fixtures on May 23, when they are fighting for survival, European spots or even the Championship.
As reported by the Daily Mail yesterday, top-flight clubs are expected to vote on whether to ban fans from that round of fixtures in order to protect the sporting integrity of the competition.
But allowing fans in throughout April would take the pressure off the last games and potentially enable the top flight to even up the playing field.
The government initially suggested that tests be conducted at a fixed number of grounds, however, the Daily Mail has been told this was not well received by Premier League officials since it would hand a significant advantage to those clubs selected.
Test events will not be limited to football.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his lockdown exit strategy on Monday
Daniel Gidney, Lancashire's chief executive, yesterday welcomed the use of technology to monitor the vaccination and testing status of fans.
'However difficult that is, in terms of return of crowds, it should be considered part of the talk,' he added. 'It's not a silver bullet but it's something that should be considered.'
In a briefing with reporters, Lancashire's Gidney said cricket's older demographic placed the sport in pole position for getting full stadiums.
'It's a perfect audience because a lot of them will have been vaccinated,' he added. 'We also have the space because we have 17 acres to do a lot of lateral flow volume testing and that is high on the Government's agenda and we are very keen to support that.'
Are these the events that could save summer? From the Euros to Edinburgh Festival and Notting Hill Carnival - mass spectacles that could usher in crowds once Covid rules are eased
Major sporting, cultural and music events are set to return to Britain this summer after the Government said it hopes to remove all coronavirus restrictions in June.
Boris Johnson has given the tentative date of June 21 when large-scale events can resume, in what will be the final stage of the post-lockdown roadmap.
By May 17 larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues, with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full, whichever is lower, will be allowed; while at outdoor seated venues it will be 10,000 or a quarter full, again whichever is lower.
But all rules are due to be removed by June 21, which could mean a return of tennis fans to Wimbledon a week later, one year after the tournament was cancelled.
Other events which could be held at capacity include Euro 2021 matches at Wembley, apart from the first two England games which fall before the date.
Also allowed to welcome capacity crowds will be music festivals such as BST Hyde Park, Camp Bestival and Reading and Leeds - as well as the Notting Hill Carnival.
And there could be a huge celebration at Stonehenge for summer solstice, which is on June 21 itself, but English Heritage is yet to confirm arrangements.
There are 975 music festivals across the UK each year in normal circumstances - although the biggest of them all, Glastonbury, has already been cancelled.
Here are some big events which could go ahead with no restrictions this summer:
Euro 2021 (June 11 to July 11) - no restrictions from June 21
England's first Euro 2020 match at Wembley Stadium in London is against Croatia on June 13, then Scotland on June 18, with 10,000 fans expected to be allowed at both.
However England's final group game with the Czech Republic on June 22 could be the first in front of a full house at Wembley, one day after the crowd limits are lifted.
This therefore raises a best-case-scenario of 90,000 fans for the match, and any further games at Wembley including the semi-finals and final on July 6, 7 and 11.
However sources have disclosed to the Daily Mail it is 'highly unlikely' that the remaining Wembley matches of the Euros would see the venue at full capacity.
There are hopes to get up to 24,000 in for England v Scotland, but it is also unlikely that fans of visiting nations will be allowed tickets, despite a reluctance to admit this.
Talks are planned between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and UEFA ahead of the tournament, which is planned to be held across Europe this year.
England football fans at Wembley Stadium for a Euro 2020 qualifying match on March 22, 2019
Stonehenge Summer Solstice (June 21)
The first major event of 2021 that is due to take place with no legal restrictions on crowds or social distancing in Britain will be the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
The annual event has attracted neo-pagans, including people who claim to have resurrected the ancient practices of the Celtic druids, since the mid-19th century.
English Heritage decided in 2000 to open Stonehenge twice a year, on the summer and winter solstices, in addition to its normal opening hours throughout the year.The summer and winter solstice sunrises were live-streamed from the stones last year as the public were urged to 'stay safe' and watch it online home instead.
But this year's summer solstice could go ahead with no restrictions compared to normal, in what could well be a spectacular event attracting huge public demand.
English Heritage told MailOnline today that it would 'begin the process of making plans' over the 'forthcoming weeks' following the Government's new timetable.
Crowds gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to celebrate the summer solstice on June 21, 2019
Wimbledon Tennis Championships (June 28 to July 11)
The target of June 21 for all restrictions to be lifted on crowds could hardly be better timed for the Wimbledon Championships, due to begin a week later on June 28.
This staple of the British sporting summer was cancelled entirely last year but could now be one of the symbols of a return to normality in the months ahead.
However, the All England Club has urged caution, saying it remained 'focused on developing our plans within the scenarios of full, reduced and no public capacity'.
Officials in South West London added that they wanted to 'remain as agile and flexible as possible to the Government and public health situation'.
They continued: 'While the success of the ongoing vaccination programme is very heartening, we recognise the need for a cautious approach at this point in time.'
Tennis fans pack out Court One during Wimbledon at the All England Club on July 3, 2017
BST Hyde Park (July 9 to 10)
One of the first major music festivals that could go ahead with no restrictions this summer is BST Hyde Park in London, featuring Pearl Jam and Duran Duran.
Tickets went on sale for the three-day event last December, which is sponsored by American Express, and up to 65,000 people are expected to attend each day.
Other artists set to perform at the festival - which has been running since 2013 - from July 9 to 11 include Grace Jones, Pixies, Idles and Nile Rodgers and Chic.
Pearl Jam and Duran Duran were both due to appear at last year's festival, along with Taylor Swift, Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar, but this was cancelled in April.
MailOnline contacted the organisers today for an update on whether this year's festival is still going ahead. General admission tickets are £68 each for one day.
The Killers perform to tens of thousands of people at BST Hyde Park in London in July 2017
The Open, Royal St George's (July 11 to 18)
The easing of restrictions will come too soon for the British Masters on May 12, but golf fans can look forward to the Open Championship at Royal St George in July.
Organisers of the tournament, which was cancelled last year for the first time since the Second World War, are hopeful it will go ahead at the course in Sandwich, Kent.
The R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said only a fortnight ago that a 'rigorous scenario-planning exercise' was underway to ensure the event takes place.
He added that staff were still planning for a 'full-scale Championship' but also had 'robust plans in place for a reduced capacity or behind-closed-doors model'.
When last year's event was postponed, a decision that was announced in April 2020, it also pushed back the 150th Open due to take place at St Andrews to 2022.
Golf fans watch the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on July 21, 2019
Formula 1 British Grand Prix, Silverstone (July 16 to 18)
Silverstone could be full of Formula 1 motor racing fans for the British Grand Prix on July 18, which would be another key feature in the UK's summer of sport.
Before the third lockdown the Northamptonshire circuit's chief executive had said he was hopeful that thousands of fans would be back at the track for the event.
Boss Stuart Pringle told ITV News Anglia in December that a 'combination of vaccine and testing will mean there's a very good chance of having close to a full crowd'.
Some 330,000 spectators normally attend the race over three days at Silverstone, which benefits this year from being an outdoor venue with open grandstands.
And Mr Pringle added that there was a 'reasonable chance that some of the younger population will have received the vaccine' by the time the event begins.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his victory at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 10, 2016
Camp Bestival (July 29 to August 1)
Music fans are hoping they will still be able to catch Fatboy Slim, Friendly Fires and Groove Armada at Camp Bestival this summer with preparations still underway.
The festival is due to take place at Lulworth Castle from July 29 to August 1, with other acts including Sophie Ellis Bextor, the Sugarhill Gang and Heather Small.
Its organisers gave an update three weeks ago saying they were 'continuing to work behind the scenes to get ready for Camp Bestival this summer'.
Rob Da Bank, its founder, said he was 'gutted' about Glastonbury being cancelled but was still 'optimistic' that the summer festival season would happen in Britain.
The DJ, real name Robert John Gorham, tweeted last month: 'Sadly Glasto is such a mammoth beast to plan, it ran outta time ... keep 'em all crossed festifolk.'
Fans enjoy watching Tom Odell perform at Bestival on the Isle of Wight on September 8, 2013
Edinburgh Festival Fringe (August 6 to 30)
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which calls itself the 'single greatest celebration of arts and culture on the planet', is due to take place from August 6 to 30.
Organisers have confirmed the event, which is organised by a charity, will definitely happen between these dates, but they are unsure if it will be live or online or both.
Bosses said last month that plans were being made 'in the midst of great uncertainty' and it was 'still too early to say exactly what the festival will look like at this stage'.
The matter is complicated by Boris Johnson's roadmap to end lockdown potentially being different to one that is set to be unveiled in Scotland by Nicola Sturgeon.
She said Scotland's route out of lockdown will not be identical to Mr Johnson's, but will be 'broadly similar', and the principles of easing restrictions will be the same.
People walk down Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the Festival Fringe on August 13, 2017
Reading and Leeds Festival (August 27 to 29)
The double festival set to take place at Little John's Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds is still due to happen over the August bank holiday weekend.
The line-up includes Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi, and organisers Festival Republic have been working with the Government to ensure it can happen.
Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn told NME last month that the plans were 'always based on the vaccine first and testing second', adding: 'It could be a mix of both.'
He told how 'we can get away with shows purely on testing', continuing: 'It's immensely hard work, but operationally doable and hopefully unnecessary.'
Mr Benn said of their full capacity plan: 'The vaccination and verification that you've had it would give you that safety of knowing that you're not going to get super ill.'
Music fans watch Major Lazer during the Leeds Festival at Bramham Park on August 27, 2017
Notting Hill Carnival (August 29 to 30)
Organisers of the Notting Hill Carnival, which is one of the final major summer events, said on February 2 it would not happen if social distancing remains in place.
Europe's biggest street party, which takes place in West London, was forced online last year for the first time in its 54-year history due to the pandemic.
Matthew Phillip, chief executive of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, told the culture select committee: 'For Carnival weekend specifically, it would pose a very big problem.
'It would be very difficult to hold Carnival in its traditional format on the streets with social distancing in place. It would be devastating for a second year in a row.'
However the news that all social distancing rules could be removed by June 21 suggests the carnival will now be good to go on the August bank holiday weekend.
Crowds walk down Ladbroke Grove during the Notting Hill Carnival in London in August 2019
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