Event organisers in Belgium have come up with a concept to allow summer festivals to take place despite a ban on mass gathering amid the coronavirus pandemic: drive-in events.
Drawing inspiration from drive-in cinemas, a collective of event and festival organisers named Beat Park is betting on cars to foolproof Belgium's summer festivals season against the new coronavirus.
"From the comfort of your car —and, therefore, in full respect of social-distancing guidelines, we think that we can make festivals happen this summer," the collective wrote online.
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"You park your car in front of a giant screen on which we will project a virtual 3D imagery. You will access the WiFi network through your smartphone in order to tune in to the livestream from your car radio and enjoy the artists and DJs giving their best live performances on the stage, which would be in front of the screen," the organisers wrote.
A "major lights and laser show" as well as entertainment "typical of the festival scene" would also be on the program, they added.
Their initiative comes as a ban on all mass gatherings until 31 August left Belgium's live music industry reeling, with organisers appealing for government support as they estimated losses of up to €1 billion as a result of the ban.
Beat Park said that their initiative was already well underway, saying that they had already filed permit applications with at least 9 large Belgian cities.
"And we already have the backing of several suitable locations, partners and providers," they added, promoting Beat Park's initiative with the hashtag #savethesummer.
"Now, we only have to wait for the government's green light," the collective told HLN. "Hopefully, the measures will be made clear in the near future and will allow our initiative to go forward."
In the meantime, the organisers have already opened pre-registrations on their website from Tuesday, and will reportedly donate €1 from each ticket to a healthcare facility.
The Brussels Times
