Several thousand music fans on Friday became the first people in Britain in more than a year to legally dance, drink and listen to music in a nightclub, as part of a test to see whether social distancing measures can be eased without triggering new coronavirus outbreaks.
The afternoon-admission gig at a warehouse in Liverpool, northwest England, is one of a series of pilot events sponsored by the UK government and closely monitored by public health officials. The 3,000 attendees, all local residents, were to be tested before and after the event, while researchers will study air quality and movement in the venue.
Once inside, clubbers could dance to DJs including Lewis Boardman and Jayda G. with no restrictions on mixing with others.
Today is going to be monumental, said DJ Yousef, co-founder of Liverpools Circus nightclub, which organized the event.
Once you go over the threshold, the whole point of today is to go back to pre-COVID conditions, which of course is no social distancing,…