The charity festival, run by the people behind The Swindon Shuffle in partnership with South Swindon Parish Council, is being held in tribute to Dave Young, the former landlord of The Victoria and 12 Bar, who sadly died in early June at Prospect Hospice after a hard-fought battle against cancer.
The organisers of the festival, which has acts such as The Boys From County Hell and Gaz Brookfield and the Company of Thieves headlining, have now announced that they will be doing all they can to keep people covid-safe.
Ed Dyer, one of the organisers who also runs Swindon Shuffle, said: “While the easing of restrictions means that some safety measures will no longer be a legal requirement, we understand that there are still risks, especially to vulnerable people, and this can cause anxiety. To reduce the risk and anxiety to you and others around you, we are asking everyone working, performing or attending to prove their covid-19 Status to gain access to the site.”
Entry will be open only to people able to provide one of three proofs:
- Proof of Full Vaccination (receiving their second dose at least 14 days prior to the festival), digitally via the NHS App (not to be confused with the Track & Trace App) or with a paper version that can be requested from the NHS.
- Proof of a negative NHS Lateral Flow Test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival at the festival and with the results registered with the NHS (app or website). The festival will not be testing at the gates.
- Proof of natural immunity (based upon a positive PCR test no more than 180 days before the festival, including 10 days self-isolation following the result).
Mr Dyer added: “Children under 11 years old do not need to prove their covid-19 status and 11 to 15 year olds will need to take an NHS Lateral Flow Test, following the steps to register the result at gov.uk and showing your child’s text or email confirmation with the negative result.
“Please note if you get a positive Lateral Flow Test result you will not be able to enter and you will need to follow NHS advice including self-isolation.”
NHS Track & Trace check in will be available on arrival and hand sanitiser stations will be provided at all key areas of the festival.
The organisers also encourage people to use contactless payment at the onsite bar, food stands and marketplace stalls, where possible.
Mr Dyer said: “Understandably lots of people are anxious about attending events after the past 18 months so we’ve decided to do all that we can to make them feel safer so that everyone can enjoy what will be a fantastic event.”
The organisers are key members of the Swindon music scene including Andy Loddington, the man behind Summer Breeze, and Jamie Hill, editor of The Ocelot.
The stellar musical line up is headed by David Young’s former band The Boys From County Hell, an Irish Folk-Punk band in the vein of The Pogues, who toured the UK and internationally to huge acclaim and who are reuniting for the occasion to perform for the first time in more than a decade.
Joining them will be Dave’s last band, the legendary punk covers outfit The Chaos Brothers along with Gaz Brookfield & The Company of Thieves, with whom he toured the UK as sound engineer.
Also featuring are a host of acts who were all championed by David in one way or another during his time as a cornerstone of the local music scene.
They include parody party covers act Kova Me Badd, ska-punk band Slagerij, blues-funk three-piece Hip Route and reggae act The Erin Bardwell Trio, plus many more.
An acoustic stage is also being organised, with the line-up to be announced in the next couple of weeks.
As well as the music there will be plenty of activities for all the family and food and drink from a variety of locally based vendors, including a licensed bar.
Tickets are available online via seetickets.com or in person at Holmes Music and The Tuppenny in Swindon and Sound Knowledge in Marlborough.
Prices are:
Adult Ticket (18+) - £20
Concession Ticket (10-17 years) - £12
Child Ticket (Under 10 years old) – Free
Family Ticket – two adults and two concessions - £50
Information about the festival and the full list of policies can be found at www.mydadsbiggerthanyourdad.co.uk