Socially distanced NI music festival ‘will be safer than going to the supermarket’

Stendhal Festival, an annual event that has featured appearances from stars such as Basement Jaxx alongside acts from Northern Ireland, is held on a farm near Limavady in Co Londonderry.

Despite the pandemic, the organisers say they will begin selling tickets next week for a ‘socially distant’ version of festival, to be spread across five weekends rather than the usual one.

Festival director Ross Parkhill explained: “We are confident that we have come up with an event plan that will make going to outdoor music events safer than going to the supermarket.

“It’s outdoors, we have a huge space to work with and we can set it up so that everyone can abide by social distancing measures at all times.”

Mr Parkhill added: “Ultimately the decision on if we can actually go ahead will rest with the Executive but with the recent relaxation of lots of lockdown measures, we see no reason as to why what we are proposing wouldn’t be deemed safe.”

The organisers’ plan includes limiting the event to those aged 21-and-over, limiting the amount of alcohol which can be purchased at the event, adherence to social distancing guidelines, the provision of medical facilities and temperature checks for festival-goers, strict sanitation for toilets, with multiple sanitation facilities for handwashing being installed throughout the site.

Organisers have set festival dates across five consecutive weekends, beginning August 21-22, and finishing on September 18-19, with the first tickets on sale on July 4.