The best UK rooftop bars and outdoor terraces to visit now and throughout summer
With bars now open for outdoor service in England, these are the best to seek out over the May Day bank holiday
The Skylight Rooftop bar in London serves drinks with skyline views
Credit: Skylight Rooftop
Rooftop bars and outdoor terraces reopened on April 12, along with pub gardens, and now even larger groups can gather outdoors after restrictions were eased further on May 17.
The rule of six has been lifted outdoors for pubs and restaurants, meaning people can meet in groups of up to 30 in beer gardens or when dining al fresco.
Former Pizza Express director loses High Court reopening battle
Hugh Osmond has lost the case he bought against the Government to try to force the early reopening of indoor venues
4 May 2021 • 7:34am
Hospitality chiefs have tasted defeat in a legal battle with the Government to reopen indoor venues sooner than the scheduled date of May 17.
Former Pizza Express director Hugh Osmond brought the action in April with nightclub and festivals operator Sacha Lord to challenge the decision to keep pubs and restaurants closed indoors weeks after the opening of non-essential shops on April 12.
The pair argued that there was no scientific or legal basis to keep venues closed amid figures from industry body UKHospitality revealing an £80bn hit to the sector since the onset of the pandemic in March last year.
Outdoor hospitality and shops have now reopened in Northern Ireland as lockdown measures are eased
4 May 2021 • 9:18am
A woman wearing a face mask walks past a public information sign in Belfast
Credit: Liam McBurney/PA
Northern Ireland has seen a quick succession of reopenings in hospitality and tourism following the fast-tracking of legislature by ministers on April 15.
Close contact services such as hairdressers were allowed to serve customers from April 23, whilst pubs, restaurants and cafes could open their doors after four months in lockdown, along with non-essential retail on April 30.
Just 3 days later, gyms and swimming pools also reopened. Additionally, 15 people from no more than 3 households are also allowed to meet in domestic gardens as of May 3.
Now, as musicians around the world prepare to return to the stage, they face having to navigate an industry transformed by the pandemic.
Greg Parmley, chief executive of live music trade body LIVE, says musicians will increasingly embrace live streams on social media sites and within video games such as Fortnite, even as gig venues begin to open up later this month.
“Live events and streaming are two very different experiences, and will both run in parallel,” he argues.
The intimacy provided by live streaming has helped revive some artists’ fortunes during lockdown. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, for instance, has enjoyed renewed popularity after staging Friday night karaoke sessions in her kitchen with her five children, and streaming it live on Instagram.