Music venues in England have the green light to reopen this weekend.
This critical phase of the reopening plan was originally intended for August 1st. However, restrictions in England were eased more slowly than expected and that ultimately pushed everything back a couple of weeks.
The reopening phase includes social distancing and safety measures. In addition to venues, sporting events and theaters will also begin a run of socially distanced events. 
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said:
The nation’s hard work to keep the virus under control means we can now make further careful progress on recovery with allowing audiences back for indoor performances, fans back at sports events and the reopening of more COVID-19 secure leisure businesses.
Meanwhile, the UK’s first socially distanced outdoor music venue just hosted its grand opening. Could this be the future of large-scale events?
An emergency stimulus package is also planned for live music venues in England. More here.
