UK event planners have been buoyed by updated guidance for local authorities, published this week by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
The guidance, part of the British Government’s Spring 2021 Roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions across England, states that from 12 April, outdoor events can resume providing that attendees arrive and leave in a staggered manner and the event doesn’t involve attendees converging on a site for a specific performance or activity such as a concert or theatre show.
The DCMS has imposed no capacity cap on these types of events, which may include agricultural shows, food and drink festivals, literary festivals and community fairs, but it expects them to have fewer than 4,000 visitors per day since the rule of six people or two households mixing still applies throughout England.
Any organiser of such events likely to attract more than 4,000 daily visitors should reassure the local authority that attendees will be dispersed across a sufficiently large geographic area, or will be sufficiently distributed throughout the day, so as to mitigate the risk of crowding at the venue (including entry and exit points; toilet facilities; and food and drink facilities) and on public transport.
Then, from 17 May, indoor events and all remaining outdoor events can commence subject to meeting Covid-secure requirements including social distancing.
These include business events such as conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, charity auctions, and private dining events such as charity or gala dinners and awards ceremonies, plus corporate hospitality.
Event attendee capacity caps will be set at 1,000 people at any one time or 50% of a venue’s capacity, whichever is lower at indoor events and, 4,000 people at any one time or 50% of a site or venue’s capacity, whichever is lower at outdoor events.
Staff, workers and volunteers are covered by the work exemption so should not be counted as part of the capacity cap.
The UK Government has also made a special provision for large, outdoor seated venues where crowds can be safely distributed around the venue, allowing up to 10,000 people or 25% of total seated capacity, whichever is lower. This provision can be used by venues with a seated capacity of 16,000 or above.
Event planners must take reasonable steps to limit the risk of transmission by completing a related risk assessment and adhering to all legal requirements, including ensuring that those attending do not mix beyond what is permitted by social contact limits.
These limits are currently the rule of six people or two households mixing indoors and 30-strong groups of people mixing outdoors.
Organisers should also mitigate the risk to public health by controlling attendance, limiting numbers to take account of the space and ventilation of a venue and implementing effective infection prevention and control measures.
Local authorities across England have been instructed not to issue blanket bans on permitted events and to assess each event in discussion with the organiser based on the Covid-secure guidance and relevant government restrictions in place at the time.
From 21 June, the British Government aims to remove all legal limits on social contact and enable all types of events to go ahead.
This is dependent on the outcomes of the Events Research Programme - 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.
Planners can read the full Organised Events Guidance for Local Authorities here.
