biostudies-literatureBurnside GMedical Research CouncilNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR)National Institute for Health and Care ResearchUK Government Department of Digital Culture Media and SportUK Research and InnovationEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council11-23https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10858718biostudies-literatureUnknown117(1)<h4>Objectives</h4>To understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission risks, perceived risks and the feasibility of risk mitigations from experimental mass cultural events before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted.<h4>Design</h4>Prospective, population-wide observational study.<h4>Setting</h4>Four events (two nightclubs, an outdoor music festival and a business conference) open to Liverpool City Region UK residents, requiring a negative lateral flow test (LFT) within the 36 h before the event, but not requiring social distancing or face-coverings.<h4>Participants</h4>A total of 12,256 individuals attending one or more events between 28 April and 2 May 2021.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>SARS-CoV-2 infections detected using audieJournal of the Royal Society of MedicineCOVID-19 risk mitigation in reopening mass cultural events: population-based observational study for the UK Events Research Programme in Liverpool City Region.PMC10858718Senior Investigator (Buchan)EP/W002779/1ERPMR/R024847/1ARC NW CoastMC_PC_19027NIHR205131COG UK ConsortiumFowler TMusi EAshton MDarby ADunning JBuchan IELeeming GTharmaratnam KCrozier ABoulter MGarcia-Finana MHowell KChand MGallagher EMaskell SRoberts BMSemple MGGreen MACOVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) ConsortiumHughes DMFisher DCorcoran RBurnside GO'Halloran KCook MCheyne CPKemp RCarmi EHumann MEdmunds WJCoffey EKhan NMalki-Epshtein LfalseCOVID-19 risk mitigation in reopening mass cultural events: population-based observational study for the UK Events Research Programme in Liverpool City Region.<h4>Objectives</h4>To understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission risks, perceived risks and the feasibility of risk mitigations from experimental mass cultural events before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted.<h4>Design</h4>Prospective, population-wide observational study.<h4>Setting</h4>Four events (two nightclubs, an outdoor music festival and a business conference) open to Liverpool City Region UK residents, requiring a negative lateral flow test (LFT) within the 36 h before the event, but not requiring social distancing or face-coverings.<h4>Participants</h4>A total of 12,256 individuals attending one or more events between 28 April and 2 May 2021.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>SARS-CoV-2 infections detected using audie2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Jan2026-06-04T05:29:52.701Z2025-04-05T14:52:11.07ZS-EPMC108587183735191110.1177/01410768231182389