Latitude revellers party all night as 40,000 go wild at first full capacity festival since Freedom Day

REVELLERS partied the night away at Latitude Festival after it welcomed 40,000 fun-starved music fans on Thursday.

Latitude is the first full capacity festival since Freedom Day with no rules in place for masks or social distancing.

AlamyRevellers enjoying their first taste of festival freedom[/caption]

AlamyA group of friends dance the night away at the Lavish Lounge[/caption]

AlamySocial distancing measures were abolished on Freedom Day[/caption]

AlamySome 40,000 people flooded the grounds in Suffolk yesterday[/caption]

Thousands of people danced in balmy temperatures celebrating their first taste of festival freedom.

Revellers explored the grounds of the Suffolk festival based at Henham Park and partied into the early hours of the morning.

Yesterday campers flooded the arena armed with tents, sleeping bags and suitcases as they queued to secure their spot.

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Just as people descended to the festival organisers put up the finishing touches which includes rows of brightly coloured tents and tepees.

It is the first major event to take place since the Government lifted all social distancing guidelines and the majority of coronavirus restrictions.

The four-day festival, which began yesterday, is the first music event of 2021 in the nation to be running at full capacity.

Anyone attending the festival must show proof of a negative lateral flow test or of double vaccination – meaning they can dance and hug safely.

Headliners include The Chemical Brothers, Wolf Alice and Pompeii singers Bastille.

The Fontaines D.C has since pulled out of the festival after one of the bandmembers tested positive for Covid.

PAFun-staved fans arriving on the grounds in Suffolk[/caption]

PACampers came armed with sleeping bags and suitcases[/caption]

A statement on Latitude’s website says: “We have been working extremely hard to make sure that Latitude Festival can go ahead safely at full capacity.

“After much discussion with the Government, I can now officially announce that we will be going ahead and that we will be joining the 3rd phase of the Event Research Programme as a test event.”

It comes as the BBC Proms is set to open at full capacity and without social distancing from July 30 to September 11.

Similarly to Latitude Festival, attendees will be required to provide evidence of a lateral flow test taken 48 hours before the event.

Last month, thousands of rock fans attended a three-day music festival as part of a government test event.

Download Festival was attended by 10,000 punters who were not required to socially distance or wear masks.

It comes as over 600,000 Brits were told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 App in a week.

A record 618,903 alerts were sent to users of the app in England and Wales in the week up to July 14 as the “pingdemic” continues to cause havoc. 

PAFestival-goers queue without social distancing and masks[/caption]

Bav MediaLatitude festival is the first festival to go ahead with full capacity since Freedom Day[/caption]

Bav MediaRows of colourful tents were set up ahead of the four-day event[/caption]

The NHS Covid-19 App, which “pings” anyone who has been within 2 metres of an infectious person for more than 15 minutes, has caused severe disruption to Brits despite lockdown rules ending on Monday.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng today vowed that the self-isolation rules would be scrapped by August 16.

He said: “I fully expect that the restrictions will be lifted, that is what we are working towards.”