While large events were completely off the cards in 2020, things changed after Covid-19 restrictions were altered in 2021. Following a number of trials at various events, including everything from raves in Liverpool to football games in Wembley, various different get-togethers have been taking place across the country this year.

However, we’re not completely out of the woods yet. ‘Freedom Day’ in July may have felt like a breakthrough in some respects, but for the organisers of some major events, nothing has changed yet. Here are a number of largescale annual outdoors events that still haven’t been able to make their post-pandemic comeback:

 

1. Pride in London

Every corner of the LGBTQ+ community is represented at Pride. London’s annual event is the UK’s biggest public event of its kind and attracts people from all around the country. If 2020’s Pride in London actually took place, it would have ended up being the weekend after the first lockdown came to an end. However, it was cancelled.

In 2021, the team initially announced that a pushed back September date was on the cards. Within months, those plans were changed and risk assessments meant that it couldn’t go ahead. Next year will mark 50 years since the first event, so provided restrictions allow for it, it will be an extra special celebration for 2022.

NB: Pride in Liverpool was also cancelled for 2021.

Discover more about Pride in London on their website.

 

2. Goose Fair

Taking place every year in Nottingham, Goose Fair is the longest running and largest travelling fair in Europe. With somewhere in the region of 400,000 expected to attend the four-day festival of fun, it’s one of the biggest dates on the East Midlands calendar.

Last October the 2020 event was cancelled, as was to be expected considering the regional tier system and the event restrictions in place at the time. However, it has now been confirmed that their 2021 event has also been cancelled too. As Goose Fair has been running for over 700 years and was previously only ever cancelled due to WWII and the plague, it’s a big deal that people will have to wait until 2022 until the next.

Find out more about Goose Fair here.

 

3. Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival is the UK’s most well known celebration of Caribbean music, art and culture. It takes place each and every August bank holiday weekend in west London. As per last year, when we were still in the midst of our first phase of freedom, it was determined that the event couldn’t take place in 2021 either.

Due to the nature of the event, which sprawls across the Notting Hill neighbourhood, it wouldn’t be possible to put any measures in place potentially limit numbers, test attendees or anything else of that nature. Fingers crossed, things will be different next year.

More information about Notting Hill Carnival can be found here.

 

4. Glastonbury Festival

Music festivals are back this year. Reading and Leeds, Download and Wireless are just a handful of the big ones that have been given the green light to continue their plans for 2021. However, something pretty big has missed out on the fun. Glastonbury was cancelled in 2020 and was one of the first to confirm that 2021 wasn’t going ahead either.

See more details about Glastonbury here.