Venues will be allowed to host crowds of up to 100 people, with social distancing.
Music venues and festivals in Scotland have been given the go-ahead to reopen from 17 May. Clubs – as well as spaces like cinemas, comedy clubs and theatres – will be allowed to open their doors to crowds of up to 100 people, so long as social distancing measures can be implemented efficiently. Outdoor events and festivals with crowds of up to 500 people will also be allowed from that date.
Later down the line, Scotland’s roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions will move into its next phase in June. Towards the beginning of the month, the 100-capacity guidelines for indoor events will be increased to 200, with the 500-capacity guidelines for outdoor events lifted to 1,000. If all goes to plan, these guidelines will be increased once again by the end of June, rising to 400 and 2,000 respectively.
Elsewhere in Scotland, museums, galleries and other indoor attractions are allowed to reopen from Monday 26 May. Hospitality businesses can also open from Monday.
As The Scotsman reports, the latest official guidance on the reopening of indoor and outdoor events states, “From May 17, some outdoor and indoor events will be able to take place (all conditional on supportive data).”
“In addition, there will be further work to develop a process and guidance for events with proposed numbers above the standard limits.”
“Specific restrictions on capacities are to be discussed and agreed in the coming weeks in consultation with the events industry.”
Across the border in England, 17 May is the proposed date for moving into the third and penultimate stage of Boris Johnson’s four-stage plan out of Covid-19 restrictions. Stage three will see the return of indoor hospitality and the lifting of most social contact rules. Furthermore, outdoor performances with an audience of 4,000 people can return, whilst indoor performances are to be capped at 1,000 people. England’s return to full capacity isn’t expected to happen until 21 June at the earliest.
We journeyed to Scotland – virtually, of course – a few weeks ago as part of our Crack Mix 400 extravaganza. Tune into a standout mix from Ribeka and Call Super, recorded at Glasgow’s La Cheetah club, below.
