Ever since Boris Johnson gave the green light for festivals and nightlife this summer (as long as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to fall), UK festivals have been dropping their lineups, and tickets are selling out at incredible speed.
Image: Printworks London
Last week, the UK government announced that live music and events would gradually reopen as early as June 21st, including music venues and nightclubs. Several festivals have already sold out within hours of launching, including Boomtown, Creamfields, and Field Day. On March 2nd, Eastern Electrics sold out in a matter of hours, causing some technical difficulties due to the online queue size.
Ticketmaster has reportedly experienced a 600% increase in traffic on its UK website. Managing director of the company’s UK branch, Andrew Parsons, told the Guardian: “It’s a week unlike any we’ve experienced in a typical February. The pent-up demand to get back to live events is undeniable. Fans are ready to make up for lost time, and it’s just brilliant to see.”
However, festival organizers explained that reduced capacity requirements for 2021 events are part of why everything is selling out so fast. Boomtown’s organizer stated on their site, “This is partially to help make complying with any Covid-19 safety measures easier, but also to help recreate the smaller community atmosphere found at older Boomtowns.”
As the vaccine is becoming more and more available to the UK and the rest of Europe, the UK is currently vaccinating people at a higher rate than any other European country. The government announced that it’s aiming to have all adults vaccinated by the end of July while the Prime Minister stated that rapid testing will be the key to unlock mass events.
Nevertheless, the lack of cancellation insurance has become a concern, and festival organizers are urging for government-approved cancellation insurance to guarantee some security, if they are forced to cancel last minute. From the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), Paul Reed expressed that it is a huge risk for 'independent festivals' to continue planning without backup cover.
Some of the UK festivals confirmed for this summer:
Field Day
Image: Jochan Embley
Lineup: Bicep live, Floorplan, Floating Points, George Fitzgerald, DJ Seinfeld, Ross From Friends, The Black Madonna, IMOGEN, and many more.
When: Saturday, July 10th 2021
Where: The Drumsheds, London
Field Day comes back to its North London home, featuring 10 acres of outdoor space and four interlinked warehouses. Prepare yourself for one of London’s loudest festivals, with avant-garde production and sound quality. Open until 3 am, this is the capital’s biggest warehouse venue, so expect to be immersed in an experience like no other!
Creamfields
Image: Liverpool Echo
Lineup: Carl Cox, Peggy Gou, Deadmau5, Oliver Heldens, Jax Jones, Nina Kravitz, Pete Tong, Darren Styles, Claptone, just to name a few.
When: Thursday to Sunday, August 26th-29th 2021
Where: Creamfields, Chesire
Creamfields lineups never cease to amaze us as they announce their first wave of techno and house headliners alongside huge names in EDM, drum n bass, and more.
Junction 2
Image: About To Blow
Lineup: Avalon Emerson, Honey Dijon, Leon Vynehall, Chaos in the CBD, Nina Kravitz, Seth Troxler, Jon Hopkins, Four Tet, Skee Mask…
When: Sunday, August 29th 2021
Where: Tobacco Dock, London
Although their festival has been pushed back to June 2022, Junction 2 has blessed us with an exceptional, inner-city event at London’s iconic Tobacco Dock. We except nothing but the best: world-class sound and world-class music! Better yet, discount tickets will be offered to those who have committed to Junction 2 Festival which has been rescheduled. As always, a killer lineup with the finest house and techno has to offer.
Eastern Electronics
Image: Eastern Electronics
Lineup: Jamie Jones, Loco Dice, Denis Sulta, Fomalour, Bellaire, Lovebird, Mella D…
When: Saturday, August 28th 2021
Where: Modern Park, London
In honor of this crazy year, Sulta curated his own ‘Sulta Selects Stage’ where he’ll be joined with some insane talent including a Bargain regular! With a lineup like this one, impossible to miss out.
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