Events News Roundup March 2021

Glastonbury Livestream Festival Announced

After the planned Glastonbury festival was cancelled in June due to the pandemic, details have been revealed to hold global livestream event at Worthy Farm on 22^nd May.

The concert will mark the festivals 50^th anniversary but won’t hold a physical audience. The show will see bands performing direct from the Somerset festival site, with artists such as Coldplay, Jorja Smith, Damon Albarn and Micheal Kiwanuka as well as many others eager to perform for audiences at home.

Tickets from the event are now on sale and proceeds from the Live at Worthy Farm event will support the chosen charities, Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid.

Barcelona COVID-19 Experiment Gig

The Palau Sant Jordi arena hosted what was said to be the biggest concert in Europe since the pandemic began. Five thousand people gathered to watch Spanish rock band Love of Lesbian perform on March 27th as part of a COVID-19 experiment gig.

After health authorities approved the concert, all attendees were tested ahead of the gig at three locations across Barcelona, with any attendees who had positive tests not attending the show.

Organisers used antigen tests where the results were returned in 10 to 15 minutes via an app on the concert goers phones. The ticket price of around £20 included the rapid test and a mask to ensure the gig went ahead safely and with caution.

Over the last six months, multiple test events have taken place to trial the possibility of holding live events with no social distancing thanks to rapid testing. As venues predict the return of live events, they continue to trial different measures and systems to ensure that the events are as safe as possible for attendees. London’s 100 club is set to pilot a new ventilation system that aims to wipe out 99% of dangerous airborne pathogens indoors. Along with this, tests in Germany investigating the transmission of coronavirus have found that the indoor concert environment poses a “low-to-very low” risk to attendees contracting the virus, providing that the venue has a sufficient air supply and that all attendees wear face masks.

World’s First Cycling Festival

Mustard Media has launched the world’s first immersive biking experience, with the 3 day Velio Festival taking place this September. Cheshire’s Cholmondeley Castle is combining a weekend of cycling with music, comedy and food from Friday 17^th till Sunday 19^th September.

After lockdown has encouraged many of us to take up walks and exercise to prioritise wellbeing, Mustard Media saw a gap in the market for a festival that’s unique and puts cycling at the forefront. Attendees will participate in bike rides filled with entertainment stretching across closed roads. The programme for the weekend includes international music artists and immersive moments across five stages.

A Continued Collaboration Between mia and AIEA to Support the Sector

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) and the Alliance of Independent Event Agencies (AIEA) will be continuing their collaboration to help with the sectors recovery after the pandemic.

The two industries worked in partnership to deliver sector insight forecasting when the industry can expect to return. The two industries have now furthered this collaboration to deliver a series of informative back to business events.

The first of the three events will take place on 7^th April with panellists from the boards of each organisation discussing the challenges and opportunities to the sector from the latest government findings. The second event scheduled for 21^st April will provide event agencies with information on the advancements and creative solutions of hybrid events. Concluding the event series on 5^th May, the boards will discuss their existing models and whether they’re fair for all parties in areas such as cancellation terms and rate strategies.