| Sažetak: | <p><strong>Objectives:</strong> To understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission
risks, perceived risks and the feasibility of risk mitigations from experimental mass cultural events before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted.</p>
<p><strong>Design:</strong> Prospective, population-wide observational study.</p>
<p><strong>Setting:</strong> Four events (two nightclubs, an outdoor music festival and a business conference) open to Liverpool City Region UK residents, requiring a negative lateral flow test.</p>
<p><strong>Results:</strong> A total of 12 PCR-positive cases (likely 4 index, 8 primary or secondary), 10 from the nightclubs. Two further cases had positive LFTs but no PCR. A total of 11,896 (97.1%) participants with scanned tickets were matched to
a negative pre-event LFT: 4972 (40.6%) returned a PCR within a week. CO2 concentrations showed areas for improving ventilation at the nightclubs. Population infection rates were low, yet with a concurrent outbreak of >50 linked cases around a
local swimming pool without equivalent risk mitigations. Audience anxiety was low and enjoyment high.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> We observed minor SARS-CoV-2 transmission and low perceived risks around events when prevalence was low and risk mitigations prominent. Partnership between audiences, event organisers and public health services, supported by information systems with real-time linked data, can improve health security for mass cultural events.</p>
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