Notice

Information on the Events Research Programme

Updated 26 November 2021

Aim of this research programme

The Events Research Programme (ERP) aims to examine the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from attendance at events and explore ways to enable people to attend a range of events safely.

To achieve this, the programme will explore how a combination of testing and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs - actions that people can take to mitigate the spread of coronavirus) can inform decisions on safely lifting restrictions at events.

What this research programme involves

The ERP is running pilot events to inform future policy, such as decisions regarding the safe removal of social distancing. The pilots are run across a range of settings, venue types, and activity types so that findings can support the full reopening of similar settings across multiple sectors.

Who’s involved in the ERP and how is it run

The programme is overseen by co-chairs Nicholas Hytner and David Ross working closely with national and local public health authorities. The board considers the evidence from the pilot events and makes recommendations to the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for DCMS, BEIS and DHSC on how restrictions could be safely lifted.

A Joint Programme Board is working across government to inform policy development on reopening sectors.

The Programme Board seeks advice from external experts, other government departments who have an interest in the research work, the scientific community through the cross-Whitehall Chief Scientific Advisors network, and other stakeholder groups.

The governance structure also includes an independently chaired Science Board which brings together clinical and scientific experts. The Science Board provides scientific assurance across the programme and ensures events are following ethical and scientific principles and generate evidence of sufficient quality to inform policy decisions.

Science Board Members:

• (Chair) Professor Dame Theresa Marteau
• Prof Tom Rodden - DCMS CSA
• Prof Paul Monks - BEIS CSA

Scientific Board Members covering the following areas:

• Dr Jenifer Smith - Public health
• Dr Shaun Fitzgerald - Ventilation
• Prof John Edmunds - Modelling
• Prof James Calder - Testing
• Prof Michael Parker - Ethics
• Jennet Woolford - Analysis
• Dr Matthew Boulter - Public Health, Testing

Managing risk

Public safety is our main priority and decisions are guided by a Science Board of relevant experts including senior PHE representation, who are taking into account the latest public health data. All pilots are designed in a scientifically controlled way, with special consideration to reduce risk of transmission.

We have put careful consideration into the timing of this pilot events study, particularly with regard to progress of the vaccination programme.

Pilot events

ERP pilots have involved range of events across the country including:

• World Snooker Championships, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield: 17 April - 3 May
• FA Cup Semi Final and Final, Wembley Stadium, London: 18 April - 15 May
• Carabao Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: 25 April
• The Good Business festival ‘Change For Good’ business event: 28 April
• Circus Nightclub, Liverpool: 30 April - 1 May
• Sefton Park Pilot (live music event), Liverpool: 2 May
• The BRIT Awards, London: 11 May
• Reunion Run, Kempton: 15 May
• Cricket, Edgbaston, Birmingham : 10 - 13 June
• Royal Ascot (horse racing), Berkshire: 15 - 19 June
• Download Festival, Leicestershire: 18 - 20 June
• Cricket, Durham: 29 June
• UEFA Euro 2020 (7 matches including Semi Final and Final), Wembley Stadium: 13 June - 11 July
• Cricket, Oval, London: 1 July
• Cricket, Bristol: 4 July
• Performances at The Grange Opera Festival, Hampshire: 1 - 18 July
• The Championships, Wimbledon (tennis), London: 28 June - 11 July
• Goodwood Festival of Speed, West Sussex: 8 - 11 July
• Cricket, Lord’s, London: 11 July
• Opera North, Leeds Playhouse, Yorkshire: 14 - 17 July
• Cricket, Edgbaston, Birmingham: 13 July
• The Open Championships, Kent: 11 - 18 July
• Performances at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester: 14 - 17 July
• The British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire: 14 - 18 July
• Cricket, Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire: 16 July
• The Challenge Cup Final, Rugby League, Wembley Stadium, London: 17 July
• Performances at The Piccadilly Theatre, London: 17 - 23 July
• Cricket, Headingley, Yorkshire: 18 July
• Home and Gift Buyers Festival, Harrogate, Yorkshire: 18 - 21 July
• Latitude Festival, Southwold, Suffolk: 22 - 25 July
• Tramlines Festival, Sheffield, Yorkshire: 23 - 25 July

Government has selected events based on settings that cover a range of criteria, including different audience capacities, outdoor and indoor venues and different layouts.

Some settings and layouts may be tested more than once thereby increasing the sample size. Pilot findings are scalable and transferable across different sectors, maximising the output from a small number of studies. All events are subject to national and local approvals.

Sectors represented in the pilot events

The pilots are run across a range of settings, venue types, and activity types (e.g. seated or not, indoor/outdoor etc) so that findings can inform thinking on the reopening of similar settings across multiple sectors.

Our priority is to set up ethical and logistically deliverable pilots in as short a time frame as possible. Whilst we would like to hold pilot events in as many regions as possible, unfortunately it is not logistically feasible at this stage to run a large number of pilot events. Each pilot event requires considerable operational and logistical planning and resource from scientists in order to properly assess the effectiveness of reducing social distancing using different mitigations.

Making the results of the research available

The initial research pilots took place in April and May. The Phase I report findings were published on Friday 25 June 2021. Also published are the Science Board Statement, conflicts of interest and protocols on which the studies are based, along with general information on the programme. The ERP Reporting Dashboard was published on 20 August, providing data from Phases I, II and III, including detailed management information about each event.

The Phase II and III report findings were published on 26 November 2021.

The ERP’s Science Board, working alongside DHSC, PHE and NHS Test and Trace colleagues are still collecting and analysing the data on all ERP Phase II and III events. Further findings will be published in due course.

We will ensure that the results gathered from research programmes are fed into policy development swiftly, to ensure that data is used to inform decisions around further reopening.

Attendance for high-risk groups

The pilot events are the first steps in helping all members of the public to return to mass events safely, and these have been developed under a SAGE framework in line with the latest PHE and DHSC guidance.

Our Science Board has reviewed the Events Research Programme’s approach to clinically extremely vulnerable individuals attending the pilot events.

They strongly urge caution for the clinically extremely vulnerable attending the events on public health grounds, however these groups are not excluded from involvement in the pilots.

Attendees will be informed in advance of the scientific research undertaken at each event and the increased risk of COVID-19 transmission due to the relaxation of some risk mitigation factors (including social distancing and numbers of attendees).

Getting tickets for a pilot event

The events are scientific trials and each event may have different criteria for the selection of participants. We are working with event organisers to identify suitable participants from their usual customer base.

Scale of events

Depending on the event and scientific approaches being tested, there are a range of social distancing and capacity cap approaches. Our Science Board follows a scientific framework developed by SAGE’s Environmental Modelling Group. This includes understanding appropriate audience sizes for the ERP’s research purposes. These capacities have been agreed in advance with event organisers, and the health and safety capacity caps of their respective venues. The numbers involved in each event have been decided in consultation with local stakeholders, but the larger events in the programme involve several thousand participants.

Testing

The pilot events are providing scientific research and evidence as well as implementation considerations for government, event organisers, and consumers, so that events can reopen safely with a greater number of attendees. The pilots events are also continuing to trial the use of ‘COVID status certification’ at mass participation events. This involves trialling the use of the NHS App and Lateral Flow Testing as proof of a person’s COVID-status, and trials to determine whether the NHS App can be used to display a user’s natural immunity status.

Testing is largely delivered through the existing community testing network, with results validated by the event organisers before ticket-holders are admitted to the venue.

Pilot event attendees are informed of the event requirements in advance.

In order to gain entry to phase II and phase III ERP events, all attendees (aged 11 and over) must show either:

1. Proof of a negative Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test taken within 48 hours of entering the event via Test and Trace text, email or via the NHS App; or

2. Proof of two vaccinations via the NHS App, with the second vaccination begin given at least two weeks prior to entry of the event; or

3. Proof of natural immunity via the NHS App, based on a positive PCR test within 180 days of the event.

Entry will be denied to those that cannot provide evidence of the above requirements.

Note: Vaccine cards issued at vaccination centres are not an acceptable form of proof of vaccination.

Alcohol consumption

Due to the pilots existing outside of the covid regulations, serving alcohol needs to be agreed by local authorities in advance. This will take into account any concerns they may have around associated behaviours from a local public health perspective.

Travel to and from pilots

All attendees at pilot events are subject to scientifically and ethically designed pre- and post-event monitoring, which they will agree to when signing up to attend the event.

In order to plan ahead and travel safely, you should:

• check the rules on what you can and cannot do
• check your route before you leave
• walk or cycle if possible
• follow the guidance on the safe use of public transport
• follow the guidance on the safe use of private cars and other vehicles – where possible only car share with members of your own household or support bubble
• download the NHS COVID-19 app before you travel, if possible, and check in where you see official NHS COVID-19 QR code posters

Help keep yourself, other passengers and transport staff safe by taking the following precautions:

• maintain social distancing
• limit the number of people or households that you come into contact with, for example, by avoiding the busiest routes, as well as busy times, such as the rush hour
• wash or sanitise your hands regularly
• avoid touching your face
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the inside of your elbow when coughing or sneezing
• travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where seating arrangements allow
• only touch surfaces where required for safe travel
• stay outdoors, rather than indoors, where possible
• minimise the time spent close to other people, where possible
• avoid loud talking, shouting or singing
• dispose of waste safely, including items such as used disposable face coverings

You must wear a face covering on public transport and in substantially enclosed areas of transport hubs in England, unless you are exempt.

You should follow this guidance even if you have been vaccinated, as you could still spread COVID-19 to others. Check the guidance on what to expect after your vaccination.

You must not travel at all if you:

• have been told by the NHS Test and Trace service to self-isolate
• are experiencing any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, even if they are mild
• are self-isolating as a result of COVID-19 symptoms or sharing a household or support bubble with somebody with symptoms

Enforcement during the event

All events will be subject to approval by Safety Advisory Groups, where security and stewarding plans and associated policing levels will need to be agreed by the local police authority.

Regulation changes

The regulations have been laid giving Secretaries of State the power to disapply restrictions to cover ERP events. That a Secretary of State may, by direction, disapply any relevant restriction or requirement in relation to specified premises, a specified event or a specified gathering as part of the events research programme.

Liability

Any litigation arising from a claim that a spectator contracted coronavirus at a ERP event which resulted in related personal injury or death would be determined by a Court.

Media attendance

As with all ticketed events, press accreditation is a matter for the event organisers.

Attending an event in a group / as a family and the rule of six

Each ERP event is subject to an official ministerial direction which allows the event to be exempt from the wider covid regulations, including the rule of six. The attendees and capacity number of ERP events follow the guidelines of the Science Board’s research methodology.

Information on specific research at events

As part of the sign up process for attending the event, each attendee is provided with information which includes the scientific research to be conducted at the event, and where they are invited to take part.

Managing social distancing at arrivals and departures for each event

Public safety is our main priority and we are working with our event organisers on this. The ERP’s work includes all pilots being designed in a scientifically controlled way, with special consideration to reduce risk of transmission.

Sanitizer and face masks

Hand sanitizer is available at all events. Attendees should bring their own face masks, as they may still be required to use these when travelling to and from the venue, or around the venue.