Reading & Leeds attendees will likely need coronavirus vaccine passport

Reading & Leeds boss Melvin Benn has told the BBC that attendees at this summer's festivals will "almost certainly" need a COVID vaccine passport, or proof that they're free of the virus.

After the Reading council recently stressed that nothing has been agreed yet regarding the August bash, Melvin believes that the festivals are likely to go ahead in the summer, with the government's roadmap out of lockdown allowing for large scale live events to come back from June 21 onwards.

Though the Reading & Leeds organiser of course isn't able to completely predict yet what safety measures might need to be put in place, he says, "I'm taking the prime minister at his word that from June the legal restrictions will be off and as he and the culture secretary said: 'We are looking forward to a summer of fun.'

"If it is cancelled everyone gets a refund – that's pretty normal – but I'm certainly anticipating it going ahead."

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On February 26 at Reading’s COVID-19 Outbreak Engagement Board meeting, councillor Graeme Hoskin said that "…certainly, the announcement is the intention of Reading Festival to happen. That is going to be a major item for our licensing department and various other national bodies to consider but nothing has been agreed by the council.”

Both festivals are already sold out, the team announcing, "It’s going to be a summer to remember, and we can’t wait to welcome you back into the fields."

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