Leeds Fest returns after being cancelled last year because of covid

Thousands of people are attending the event at Bramham park today

Leeds Festival
Author: Hannah NorburyPublished 27th Aug 2021

Thousand of people are at Braham Park today, as Leeds Festival gets underway, after being cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Similar to other festivals that have taken place, everyone aged 11 and over has to show either:

  • Proof of full vaccination – both doses received (with the second at least 14 days prior to the festival)
  • Proof of a negative NHS Lateral Flow Test taken prior to travel on the day of arrival at the festival
  • Proof of natural immunity based upon a positive PCR test within 180 days of the festival (including 10 days self-isolation following the result)

The music event has sold out and will take place over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We've been speaking to people working in public health, who tell us it's impossible to have no covid cases from large events like Leeds Festival.

Andrew Lee works in global public health, he said:

"All that we can do, and this is true for all festivals, is try to keep things as safe as possible and try to reduce the risk as much as possible. All these measures, they aren't 100%, but they will help reduce the risk.

"You will always have a proportion of people carrying the infection, they may have no symptoms, they may not have been picked up on a lateral flow test, so you will always get a baseline level of infection at these festivals."

Alongside beers and burgers, people will be able to get their vaccine at the event, if they're not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Leeds clinic will be open on the Thursday from 10am to 4pm for festival goers to talk to health professionals about the vaccination.

The site will be offering jabs from 10am-4pm from Friday through to Sunday, and from 8am-11am on Monday morning.

The team will be located next to the first aid & welfare tents just across from the blue camping area.

It's part of the country wide push to get more young people vaccinated.

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