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Nightclubs and music venues are preparing to open their doors on July 19 for the first time in nearly 18 months and a clearer picture of what to expect is starting to emerge. According to government figures, our nightlife renaissance won’t require spaces to conduct Covid tests or punters to show vaccine passports.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove is leading a review into the reopening of the nighttime sector, with a formal hearing on their return scheduled for July 12. But, according to the Evening Standard, the MP thinks enforcing tests or passports to gain entry will be 'too much hassle' for clubbers, gig-goers and the businesses welcoming them back.
While there’s been no official statement from Downing Street on the matter just yet, a government source told the paper: 'We are increasingly confident that people are protected and the plan is to reopen everything, with no exceptions.'
It follows a successful vaccination programme and a series of pilot events under the Events Research Programme that have seen audiences attend large gatherings with no social distancing restrictions. Entry to those events, including the 2021 BRIT Awards, Download Festival and two days of clubbing in Liverpool, required attendees to provide a negative PCR test result on the door. No substantial outbreaks were reported through the ERP.
The nightlife sector has been hit hard by the pandemic, with venues and clubs being closed since March 2020. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, welcomed the news that tests and vaccine passports won’t be a part of the reopening, suggesting such requirements could have a negative impact on smaller spaces. “If you are in a late-night London pub and thinking of going on to the club around the corner, there’s a good chance that having to take a test would make you question whether to bother,” he said.
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