Stuart WoodGisburne Park, a wedding venue in Lancashire, is hosting socially distanced festivals in July and August.
The Gisburne Park Pop-Up festival features live music and food for visitors sitting in socially distanced arrangements within an outdoor space. The grass is marked in a hexagon shape, spaced 2.6m apart, allowing up to six people to attend together in a distancing bubble.
The first festival of the series took place on 11 July, with more running until 30 August. The Gisburne Park estate says it is hoping to welcome 24,000 visitors over the course of eight weeks this summer.
The event series will feature live music as well as film screenings, opera and family sing-alongs. Drinks and food are delivered directly to the hexagons, eliminating the need for queueing. The stage was placed on the far side of a small stream in the estate, separating it off from the crowd and ensuring distancing is maintained.
The Pop-Up festival is sponsored by Moet Chandon, Peroni and HUN wines. It has created 100 temporary jobs in the region’s hospitality and events industries.
Gisburne Park Estate owner Guy Hindley developed the distanced festivals in partnership with hospitality professionals Robyn Isherwood and Joe Worthington.
Robyn Isherwood, Event Director of Gisburne Park Pop-Up, said: “Having worked in events for a number of years, seeing the impact of Covid-19 on the industry has been truly devastating. With the Gisburne Park Pop-Up festival, we’re excited to be at the forefront of kickstarting the return of outdoor festivals and our ambition is to deliver a unique, safe experience for people to enjoy in the open air to reclaim their British summer.
“Our guests’ health and safety is our number one priority. We’ve ensured everyone can relax and enjoy the experience, safe in the knowledge that the strictest social distancing and hygiene measures are in place for all customers, staff and entertainers.”