SCOTTISH music venues, theatres, concert halls and nightclubs have been given the green light to repoen next week without physical distancing restrictions.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that no venues will be legally required to close” as of August 9.
However, attendees will still be expected to register their details when visiting entertainment venues as the Test and Protect service will continue to operate to monitor guture outbreaks of covid.
It’s great news for venues who have been forced to close for 18 months. Just next week, King Tut’s will host its Summer Nights festival with Edinburgh singer-songwriter Brooke Combe set to open the event on 9th August. Other acts set to grace the famous stage include HYYTS, Spyres, Swim School, Medicine Cabinet and more.
Meanwhile, organisers of large-scale events will have to seek special permission from local authorities or the Scottish Government for them to go ahead when the changes take effect on Monday.
Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival, which was moved to 10 – 12 September, are feeling very positive. Organisers said it was now “all systems go” for the event which will see Courteeners, Liam Gallagher and The Chemical Brothers headline.
It’s exactly what we wanted and needed to here with regards to TRNSMT – it’s wonderful news that we are all systems go for TRNSMT this September.
“To be fair, the First Minister has just confirmed what she said was the Scottish Government’s intention at her last update but to have it ratified is great news as it also means that the most serious harms from Covid are diminishing too.
“We still need to apply some common sense but it means that Scottish music fans can now enjoy a return to live music and in particular music festivals for the first time since the Summer of 2019. It is going to be emotional when we open the gates at Glasgow Green.
“It’s amazing to have confirmation that gigs under 2,000 capacity, such as the Barrowlands in Glasgow and the King Tut’s ‘Summer Nights’ shows in August, can definitely go ahead.
“It’s also good news that, for those bigger indoor concerts, we can apply for permission to go ahead which my team will get onto straight away. I’m sure we can satisfy the authorities that they will all be safe to proceed.
Other festivals to confirm their return include Riverside and Playground Festival. The Rouken Glen festival will return for its second edition from 24th – 26th September with headline performances from The Libertines, Culture Club and Nile Rodgers & Chic. They will be joined by up-and-coming bands like Beta Waves, Fauves and Scarlett Randle.
The First Minister also discussed a potential new vaccine passport scheme for venues that are deemed a “high risk”. Speaking in a virtual meeting of the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon also warned that “keeping some distance from people in other households and avoiding crowded indoor places – even if no longer legally mandated – are still sensible precautions.”
She added: “I can also confirm that we continue to consider very carefully the possible, albeit limited, use of Covid status certification for access to certain higher risk venues in future.
“We are currently developing an app to make access to Covid status certificates – which will include vaccination details – easier for international travel. This will be launched next month.=
“The app will have functionality to support the use of such certificates for domestic settings should we decide that this is appropriate.
“However, I can assure Parliament that we do not underestimate the ethical, equity and human rights issues associated with Covid status certification and will keep members updated and consulted on our thinking on this issue.”
