Festival pilot event hosts 10,000 attendees in England

10,000 people attended Download Festival at Derby's Donnington Park this past weekend, as the government continue to test the safety of large scale events.

Data about the event is being collected by the government in order for them to decide how large-scale events should take place with lockdown easing set for July 19.

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Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, promoters of the rock festival, spoke fondly about attendees and their willingness to follow regulations on testing.

"It’s extraordinary really. It’s really fantastic. I am very heart-warmed by it all,” Benn said, according to the PA news agency.

“What is extraordinary about it is the level of compliance around the testing and requirements we have. In a way that you would expect when you are in the middle or towards the tail end of a pandemic, that level of compliance is extraordinary."

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He also spoke about his confidence surrounding the easing of lockdown restrictions and large-scale events, saying that the event was “100% evidence” that large-scale events can take place without COVID restrictions.

“What we want from Download is data that scientists can analyse that will effectively reinforce that position, and that data is being gathered and I am certain it will do just that,” he continued.

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Meanwhile, other large-scale events such as Notting Hill Carnival and Kendal Calling have been cancelled due to uncertainty surrounding COVID restrictions, while test events that took place in April have yielded promising results about the future of large scale events.

Tope Olufemi is Mixmag’s Digital Intern, follow them on Twitter