Time to get excited.
The Government has confirmed that Ireland will begin trialing pilot events across the country as of 10 June.
In an announcement made by the Taoiseach on Friday, it was confirmed that a number of pilot concerts, gigs, and sporting events would be taking place over the next number of months.
Here’s everything you need to know if you’re eager to attend any of the events.
What events are happening?
The outdoor pilot events will begin with a James Vincent McMorrow concert for 500 people in Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on 10 June.
On 11 June Leinster are also set to play Dragons in a rugby match at the RDS with 1,200 people allowed to attend.
Also on 11 June, Shamrock Rovers will play Finn Harps in a League of Ireland match in Tallaght Stadium. 1,000 spectators will be allowed to attend the event.
Cork City is also set to play Cabinteely in front of a crowd of 600 at Turners Cross on the same day.
On 20 June the Camogie National League Finals will take place in Croke Park with 3,000 fans.
Meanwhile, the first indoor event will be an opera with 519 people allowed attend, at the University Limerick Concert Hall on 23 June.
On 25 June a Shamrock Rovers v Drogheda game with 1,000 spectators will also take place in Tallaght Stadium.
A fully seated outdoor music festival with 3,500 attendees is also set for Phoenix Park in Dublin on Saturday 26 June.
The Athletics Ireland National Championships will take place on the same day at Morton Stadium with 400 people allowed to attend.
A small indoor concert at INEC Club in Killarney with 200 spectators is also expected to take place but will be fully seated also.
More events have also been slated for July if the epidemiological situation permits.
These events will include a trad music night in the Roisin Dubh pub in Galway, a comedy gig in Vicar Street, and later in the month a nightclub event in Jam Park in Dublin.
How can I book tickets?
Venues will be in charge of allocating tickets for the various events however little is known yet about how you can secure one.
The Government has said that Minister for Culture Catherine Martin and other officials are expected to announce more details on how to get tickets for the events and what Covid-19 measures will be in place at the pilot gigs over the coming days.
How will the events work?
Little details have been released yet as to what Covid-19 measures will be in place for the various events, however, more information is expected to be released to the public soon.
In other countries that have trialed events such as the UK, spectators were asked to complete a PCR test before and after the events – a precaution that will likely also be in place for Ireland’s pilot gigs.
How has it worked elsewhere?
In the UK pilot events have been running over the past number of months with up to 58,000 people attending the various events.
Earlier this month, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has confirmed to the Evening Standard that only 15 cases were reported as a result.
The events included the Brit Awards, the FA Cup final, an outdoor rave in Liverpool, and the World Snooker Championships, and were allowed to run as normal, without masks or social distancing.
Just four cases of Covid-19 occurred across the entire 17 days of the World Snooker Championships, staged indoors at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.
Meanwhile, zero cases were reported after the Brits, and there were only two cases after 5,900 people gathered at an outdoor music festival at Sefton Park in Liverpool.
There was also no cases at the reduced-capacity football at Wembley Stadium, and only nine cases after 6,000 people packed into a nightclub in Liverpool over two days without masks.
The figures indicate that festivals, sporting events, and other events held outdoors are very safe, meanwhile, the slightly higher incidence confirmed that clubbing is the toughest part of the night economy to reopen.
He also announced that the UK Government is commissioning a second round of trials involving even bigger crowds over the coming months.
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