Brit Awards to host 4,000 people in latest test on easing Covid curbs
The Brit Awards will feature a live crowd of 4,000 people next month after it opted into a Government scheme trialling the reopening of large events during the pandemic.
Attendees will not have to wear face masks or remain socially distanced at the indoor music ceremony at London's O2 Arena.
However, they will have to show proof of a negative result from a Covid lateral flow test before entering and provide details for the NHS Test and Trace scheme.
The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that Brit Awards organisers were on the brink of signing up to the piloting scheme.
The trials are an attempt by the Government to better understand how large events like festivals, football matches and concerts can be restarted safely as lockdown eases.
It comes after the Government's first pilot event, the World Snooker Championship recorded at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre resulted in no outbreak of cases.
Government scientists have been closely involved in designing the pilots with testing, social distancing and crowd flows all being monitored.
Some 2,500 tickets for the Brit Awards will be given away to key workers from the Greater London area to mark their work through the pandemic.
Dua Lipa, Griff, Arlo Parks and Headie One are among the artists scheduled to perform during the ceremony, which will be hosted by Jack Whitehall.
Three-time Brit winner Lipa said: “This has been a long, tough year for everyone and I'm delighted the night will honour the key worker heroes who have cared for us so well during that time and continue to do so.
“They are quite simply an inspiration. The Brit Awards are always special and this will truly make it a night to remember.”
Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, said: “The Brits are always a big night in the music calendar, but this year's awards will be particularly special.
“They will reunite live audiences with the best of British talent for the first time in a year, while providing a vital opportunity to see how we can get large crowds back safely as soon as possible.
“Music connected us when we were separated by this pandemic and now it's going to help bring us back together again.”
