Black souvenir t-shirt (size XXL) from Sefton Park, a pilot outdoor music festival held on 2nd May 2021 at Sefton Park, Liverpool, as part of the Events Research Programme (ERP), which examined the risk of COVID-19 transmission at large events and explored ways for people to attend events safely as lockdown eased, marketed by National Merchandise, England, 2021

Over 6,000 people attended the Sefton Park festival, headlined by the Blossoms. It was one of the first live events to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Events Research Programme (ERP). At Sefton Park, festivalgoers were not required to wear face coverings or socially distance in a special relaxation of the government’s restrictions. Scientists monitored the event to study people’s behaviour and how they interacted with each other.

Ticket holders needed a negative lateral flow test to gain access to the festival. They were also asked to take an optional PCR test before and after the event. After Sefton Park, the organisers, Festival Republic, offered everyone who took part in post-festival testing, the chance to win tickets for future events. As a result, more tests were done after Sefton Park than any other ERP pilot.

The results of the first phase of the ERP were cautiously optimistic. There were no major outbreaks at any of the nine pilots. However, community spread was low in general in late April and early May 2021. Researchers had limited data about cases as so few people opted in for pre- and post-event testing. These events were an important first step in bringing live performances back to life in an industry particularly hard hit by COVID-19.