Industry-backed online festival safety initiative, Festival Safe has been expanded to provide an array of advice to people attending festivals during the pandemic.

Founded by Engine No. 4 director Jon Drape, with partners including Access All Areas, Broadrick Live, Royal Society of Public Health, The Safety Officer and We Are Indigo, Festival Safe’s Covid-19 Festival Guide provides comprehensive advice to everyone from festival first timers to veteran attendees.

Festival Safe said it had been created with the aim of reducing risk and to help festival-goers understand how Covid-19 will affect events this summer.

Among the topics covered are expectations around social distancing, mask wearing and vaccinations, and what to do if you develop Covid-19 symptoms while at a festival. It also includes a step-by-step guide to setting up and using the NHS Covid Pass for domestic events, which many festivals will be using as a condition of entry.

Launched in 2016 as an initiative designed by festival organisers, industry professionals and the emergency services, the Festival Safe website offers festival-goers a one-stop shop to find information on every aspect of going to festivals. Focus areas include what to expect before you go, camping, crime, drugs and alcohol, sexual health and mental health.

Drape said, “With festivals getting going again, event organisers want to make sure that we are supporting our customers to understand what will be expected of them in the post Covid-19 season, as well as letting them know what we are doing to help keep them safe. There is so much new information for people to take in, we have collated this in one place and in simple terms so everyone knows what to expect.

“We are also very aware that there will be thousands of young party-goers attending events for the first time this summer and we hope the wider site will be really useful for them in understanding what to expect and getting prepared before they go.

“After a year of no partying, we also want to remind people that tolerance levels to alcohol and other drugs may be greatly reduced. There is lots of practical information on the site about how to reduce harm and stay safe.”

Drape is the founder of Manchester-based events production company Engine No 4. The company was behind two of 2020’s most high-profile socially distanced events spaces – The Virgin Money Unity Arena and Escape to Freight Island. This year, the company’s projects include Manchester International Festival, Lost Village and Parklife.

‍