Scottish theatres to be free from social distancing by August 9

Theatres in Scotland should be able to operate without social distancing from August 9, three days after the official start of the Edinburgh Fringe.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon said the restrictions will be lifted if the Scottish government’s aims to reduce Covid are achieved and the whole country moves out of the level system on that date.

The announcement has been welcomed by theatre leaders, who see the roadmap as an opportunity to plan for summer activity.

Theatres and events in Scotland currently have to operate with two-metre social distancing, unlike hospitality venues.

Scotland will remain at its current levels until July 19, when Sturgeon expects to move the country into level 0. At this level, indoor social distancing will be reduced to one metre and the outdoor requirement will be lifted all together.

Sturgeon said: "We may still advise people to take care with safe distancing, but we want to bring the legal requirement to an end as soon as it is safe to do so.

"We are setting out those expectations today so that businesses, including those in the culture sector, can begin planning along those lines. We will keep people as updated as possible as we review the data in the weeks ahead."

The announcement was welcomed by Edinburgh Fringe Society chief executive Shona McCarthy, who said: "It’s hugely uplifting to see that the Scottish government has listened to the collective voice of the culture sector and has gone ahead in making the social distancing guidelines fairer for all.

"Today’s decision means operators can now plan, prepare and start the difficult road to recovery.

"Our priority will be supporting fringe producers and artists to deliver the best festival that we can in the time we have left, and to ensure our Covid mitigation plan is rolled out effectively and safely."