Top UK Anti-Terrorism Officer Says Music Festivals Are On 'High Alert'

Ahead of next month's Glastonbury Festival and Reading and Leeds in August, one of the UK's highest ranking anti-terrorism officers has revealed that music festivals will be on "high alert" this summer for potential terrorism attacks.

As The Independent reports, Neil Basu, deputy assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan police — who look after the UK's protective security — told The Sunday Times that outdoor festivals were "right at the top of the agenda" and "harder to control" than stadiums because "the perimeters are much larger". 

"These people are perfectly happy to target civilians with the maximum terror impact. Crowded places were always a concern for us, but now they are right at the top of the agenda," Basu said.

"The threat has become more difficult, because it's now potentially any time any place, anywhere."

Basu also says that alongside large festivals, smaller clubs such as the Bataclan Theatre in Paris continued to be in danger. "I want to see the owners and event managers [of smaller venues] taking the same kind of security precautions."

Glastonbury Festival is due to hit Somerset from 22 June to 26 June and features a blockbuster line-up including Adele, Muse, Coldplay, Disclosure, New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Earth, Wind & Fire and more with over 130,000 attendees.