Tomorrowland gets green light for Covid-negative attendees but questions remain over flights

Culture
09 Jun 21

Belgium has released guidelines that will allow up to 75,000 people to attend large scale events in August – but only with a full vaccine or recent PCR test. As the airline industry starts to regroup, questions remain over whether flying to European or US gigs will be permitted for anyone who has not been vaccinated...

Belgium has given the electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland the go-ahead for this August.

However, full vaccination or a recent negative PCR test will be required to the festival, where 70,000 fans will be welcomed back to the 'festival dancefloor' for the first time since 2019.

The timing of the festival has been moved this year. The easing of lockdown restrictions will only allow large scale events to take place from August 13th onwards. Tomorrowland takes place over two separate weekends and, as a result, this year Weekend 1 will run from August 21st-23rd; and Weekend 2 from September 3rd-5th.

A statement on Tomorrowland's website said "We are delighted and grateful to hear that the Belgian Government has given a realistic perspective for large festivals in Belgium towards the end of the summer."

"With a combination of vaccination and rapid testing at the door, we believe we can make Tomorrowland a safe place, which so many people have been looking forward to for so long. We will take every measure and guideline very seriously and apply all the right protocols."

International fans will be allowed to travel to the festival from "green or orange," countries inside the EU, without needing to quarantine, providing they can show a digital corona certificate with full vaccination, a recent negative PCR test or recovery certificate.

People travelling from high-risk countries will be required to quarantine for 10 days on arrival, regardless of their vaccination status, and whether or not they can show a recovery certificate.

However, there is a ban on entry for non-Belgians who (a) do not reside in Belgium and (b) have been in a very high-risk area at any time during the previous 14 days.

The guidelines could be an indication that full vaccination certificates may be considered as the standard requirement to travel to many festivals this summer.

Meanwhile, airlines have questioned whether unvaccinated customers will be allowed to fly at all – further pointing in the direction of a requirement for "Covid certificates".

Two of the big US airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines, have already announced a new policy of vaccinated employees only, stating that they will not hire any new employees that cannot show a vaccination certificate.

Delta Airlines implemented this policy last month, calling the vaccines "safe, effective and essential to the future of the airline and our world."

United Airlines followed suit, stating that the move was important to instil their "commitment to safety," into their new employees.

Taoiseach Michael Martin announced last month that international travel, in and out of Ireland, is planned to resume fully on July 19th, through the implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, which will show if people have been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from Covid-19. However, the Irish government position seems to be that travel outside Ireland is not recommended unless it is essential.