Latitude Festival 2021 WILL go ahead as part of Government test event

25 June 2021, 10:45 | Updated: 6 July 2021, 17:17

The festival, which takes place in Suffolk's Henham Park, will go ahead at full capacity

The fate of this year's Latitude Festival was thrown into doubt when Boris Johnson announced a four week delay to the ending of all COVID-19 restrictions in England.

However, now the festival has confirmed it will go ahead at full capacity as part of a Government event research programme (ERP).

Find out everything we know about the festival, including when it takes place and if tickets are still available.

When is Latitude 2021?

Latitude Festival 2021 takes place from 22-25 July.

Find out more about tickets at latitudefestival.com.

Is Latitude 2021 going ahead?

It was announced on Friday 25 June that the festival WILL go ahead as part of a Government event research programme.

Festival boss Melvin Benn said: "We have been working extremely hard to make sure that Latitude Festival can go ahead safely at full capacity.  Becoming an ERP event gives us the security of going ahead. Crucially the additional research collected at Latitude  will benefit all festivals and live events moving forward. Everyone will be welcome to attend as long as they have a negative lateral flow test or proof of two vaccinations.

"After many months without live music and arts, we are ecstatic to return with a full capacity festival. Restarting festivals is crucially important to the wellbeing of everyone in society and we hope that Latitude will be the first of many festivals to take place this summer!"

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "We are working flat out to find a way to get festivals back up and running safely, so it is brilliant that Latitude will go ahead as part of the Events Research Programme and build on the success of our pilots at Download and Sefton Park."

READ MORE: Which festivals are taking place in 2021?

What is the government's pilot scheme?

The Government is working with a select number of festivals and events to test the viability of live music events going forward and the level of transmission of COVID-19. Previous pilots included The Sefton Park Pilot and the Download Pilot.

A new report said 28 cases of COVID were recorded during the Events Research Programme's (ERP) first nine indoor and outdoor events.

Of these, 11 were identified as "potentially infectious at an event", while a further 17 were "potentially infected at or around the time of the event".

The Brit Awards, which featured a 3,500-strong audience, recorded zero cases of coronavirus.

Latitude 2021 line-up and headliners:

This year's event is set to see headliners in Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, Bastille and Bombay Bicycle Club top the bill.

Ellie Rowsell and co - who just scored a number one album with Blue Weekend - were set to kick off proceedings, headlining the Obelisk Arena on the Friday night of the festival.

Electronic duo and dance music legends The Chemical Brothers were to follow suit on the Saturday night of the festival.

The festival will be capped off by a very special performance by Bastille, who were set to bring their Reorchestrated project to the stage, and Bombay Bicycle Club, who released their Everything Has Gone Wrong album in 2020.

Joining the artists on the bill are the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Hot Chip, Fontaines D.C, Arlo Parks, Beabadoobee, Declan Mckenna, Sea Girls, Tim Burgess and more.

The legend that is Bill Bailey also becomes the first comedian to perform on the main stage in the coveted Sunday afternoon slot, where he'll bring his trademark blend of satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, crowd sing-alongs, weird instruments and musical showstoppers.

READ MORE: Which small and boutique festivals are going ahead in 2021?

Stereophonics dedicate song to Snow Patrol at Latitude 2019