Brussels Expo will be hosting the I Love Science Festival this weekend. From 15 to 17 October, people who are curious about science and innovation can satisfy that desire at Paleis 11 in Brussels. Covid-safe tickets are a requirement, but the organization has taken extra measures to make their event accessible to young people. 

While it is relatively easy to obtain a covid-safe certificate, at some events, more spontaneous visitors may get an unpleasant surprise and be turned away. In order to accommodate people who may not have a valid ticket, I Love Science made sure there will be a rapid testing tent set up just outside of the event. For a small fee, adult visitors can get tested on the spot and be allowed in. Visitors under the age of eighteen can get tested for free. However, festival-goers should be mindful to bring their ID and download the CovidSafeBE-app for iOS or Android before attending. A negative covid-19 self test is not valid. More information on the on-site testing and entrance requirements can be found on the I Love Science website. 

The choice to do rapid tests at the door may seem obvious, but many events choose not to provide them. Still, there is a good reason to consider it. ‘It is difficult to gauge how many people we can expect. A covid-safe ticket is yet another threshold to cross for potential visitors’, Jeroen Roppe from I Love Science explains. ‘It may cause people to be more hesitant to attend.’

Additional health measures
‘We focussed on getting a venue of ample size and providing plenty of disinfectant stands’, says Roppe. It may not be the same as before the pandemic, but he stresses the necessity of caution. ‘We are glad that the event is able to take place like this. The precautions we have taken are for the benefit of everyone attending the festival after all.’ 

Those interested in the event can find the full program here. Admission is free for the curious and inquisitive of all ages.

Text: Leïlani Duroyaume, final edit: Anke Vandeweyer
Image by Bastian Riccardi from Pixabay