New Covid rules announced for music lovers attending Lancaster's Highest Point Festival 2021

Festival organisers have announced a Covid Event Pass, which will be needed to enter the festival grounds.

Originally due to take place in May 2020, the four-day event is set to take place from Thursday, September 2nd, until Sunday, September 5th, at Williamson Park in Lancaster.

Major artists are set to perform at the four-day music extravaganza.

The line-up for Sunday has already been confirmed with Rick Astley set to headline, with special guest Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and supported by The Cuban Brothers. And 1,000 free tickets for the Sunday night are being given to NHS staff as a "thank you" for their hard work over the last 18 months.

Friday will feature DJ sets from the likes of Rudimental, Wilkinson and Crazy P Soundsystem, plus Becky Hill and Ella Eyre, while Saturday will see Rag'N'Bone Man headline with acts including Lancaster band The Lovely Eggs, The Lottery Winners and The Futureheads all on the bill.

However, in order to enter the festival, attendees will need to have an NHS Covid Pass. To get the pass, festival goers will have to download an app on their phone and register their details.

People who have had a negative lateral flow test, a double vaccination (with the second jab two weeks prior to the event or longer) or a positive PCR result in the last 180 days (therefore the antibodies doing their jobs) will be granted a pass.

A festival spokesman said: "A Covid Event Pass will be implemented for the festival in September. We appreciate this wasn't listed on the event details when the event was first placed on sale. However, we have continued dialogue with various authorities and services, with the Lancashire Resilience Forum asking that all major events in the area ask for the use of the NHS Covid Pass. This is about keeping people safe, and ensuring that Highest Point Festival can keep going for many more years to come.

"To get the NHS Covid Pass it is a simple app download on your mobile phone. If you don't have the app, but are vaccinated, then you can request the paper version of the barcode.

"If you need to upload a lateral test flow result, then please grab yourself a test kit from a pharmacy for free then register your result by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result"Please note, we won’t be doing any on site testing, you need to do your own test in your own home and present the test result on arrival. If you don't wish to download the NHS app, then we will accept a test result text message.

"When you arrive at the event we are presented with a green is go QR code. Nothing else, we don't see your medical records or any confidential information. It's just an added layer of safety at the gates.

"Please be aware we are mere event organisers doing everything we can to keep our customers safe and work with all the authorities and partners who trust us to deliver the event. This applies to everyone aged 18 and above. If you don’t wish to comply with this safety measure, then please email [email protected] and we will roll the ticket to the 2022 event, alternatively you can pass the ticket on privately. Refunds are not available."