Download Festival 2021 Pilot: where is music festival, lineup, and capacity explained - as event to go ahead

The pilot event is set to take place in Donnington Park with 10,000 attendees - despite end of lockdown being pushed back
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Download Pilot kicks off today, Friday 18 June, marking a return to live music for many festival goers as part of the Government’s Event Research Programme.

The research programmes aims to gather data on how live events, such as the festival, impact the spread of Covid-19, and how the Government can safely begin to reopen more venues that cater to large scale events, such as sport, theatre and music.

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The festival comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the proposed date for the lifting of final Covid-19 restrictions across England would be pushed back to 19 July.

The Download Festival pilot event will see a capacity of 10,000 festival goers taking part (Photo: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)The Download Festival pilot event will see a capacity of 10,000 festival goers taking part (Photo: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)
The Download Festival pilot event will see a capacity of 10,000 festival goers taking part (Photo: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)

This is everything you need to know about the festival taking place.

Who is playing?

The set list for Download Pilot has just been announced - the schedule goes as follows.

Friday 18 June

Main stage:

- Hot Milk, 5:30pm

- Boston Manor, 6:35pm

- Neck Deep, 8pm

- Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, 9:50pm

Second stage:

- Death Blooms, 5pm

- Malevolence, 6pm

- Holding Absence, 7:20pm

- Sleep Token, 8:50pm

Silent disco DJs:

- What’s My Age Again? 11pm to midnight

- Daniel P Carter, midnight to 1am

- Black Parade: 00’s Emo Anthems, 1am to 2:30am

Saturday 19 June

Main stage:

- Conjurer, 12pm

- Bleed From Within, 1pm

- Wargasm, 2pm

- A, 3pm

- Yonaka, 4:10pm

- Twin Atlantic, 5:30pm

- While She Sleeps, 7:05pm

- Enter Shikari, 10:35pm

Second stage:

- Lotus Eater, 11:30am

- As Everything Unfolds, 12:30pm

- The Hara, 1:30pm

- Tigercub, 2:30pm

- Vukovi, 3:35pm

- Those Damn Crows, 4:50pm

- Stone Broken, 6:15pm

- Creeper, 8:15pm

Silent disco DJs:

- Alex Baker, 11pm to midnight

- Zoe London, midnight to 1am

- Chop Suey! Nu-Metal, 1am to 2:30am

Sunday 20 June

Main stage:

- Saint Agnes, 12pm

- Employed to Serve, 1pm

- Loathe, 2pm

- Lonely the Brave, 3pm

- Elvana, 4:10pm

- The Wildhearts, 5:30pm

- Skindred, 7:05pm

- Bullet for my Valentine, 9:35pm

Second stage:

- Static Dress, 11:30am

- Cassyette, 12:30pm

- Chubby and the Gang, 1:30pm

- Higher Power, 2:30 pm

- Jamie Lenman, 3:35pm

- Massive Wagons, 4:50pm

- Trash Boat, 6:15pm

- Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, 8:15pm

Silent disco DJs:

- Kam and Jenny: Download 2022, 11pm to midnight

- Lais MW and Lauren C, midnight to 1am

- Ultimate Power, 1am to 2:30am

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Where is the festival taking place?

The festival will run from 18 to 19 June 2021, and is being held at Donington Park.

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The festival has been held annually at Donington Park in England since 2003, Donington Park is situated next to East Midlands Airport.

The site is where the three counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire meet.

What are pilot events?

Pilot events are events run by the Government’s Event Research Programme, and these events will inform government policy on how to bring about the safe return of audiences to venues and events.

The first phase of the programme took place in April and May, with Download Pilot forming part of the second phase of pilot events by the programme.

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The events will enable scientists and researchers to gather data on transmission risk, the suspension of social distancing and face coverings over several consecutive days, and testing protocols.

Download Pilot has a capacity of 10,000, and everyone on site will need to have taken a lateral flow test prior to entry, and received a negative result. They will also need to have taken a PCR test too.

Any festival goers who receive a positive test will be issued a refund.

Download says: “That means you’ll be able to mosh, dance, hug your fellow Downloaders, and rock out without a mask or social distancing.”

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After the event, attendees will be asked to take a second PCR test and send it back to the ERP.

We want to hear from you: let us know what you think about this story and be part of the debate in our comments section below

Can I get tickets?

Unfortunately tickets to Download Pilot have sold out, as general onsale tickets were released on 3 June at 12pm.

However, tickets for Download 2022 are now on sale, available via Ticketmaster.

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For those that managed to secure tickets for Download Pilot, there are a number of upgrades available. The upgrade tickets do not include festival tickets, you must have already purchased a festival ticket in order to buy an upgrade package.

You can buy upgrade tickets also through Ticketmaster.

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