Southampton festival goers 'back together as a community' as Let's Rock returns

• Video report by ITV News Meridian reporter Derek Johnson

One of Southampton's major music festivals has returned to the city for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Let's Rock was back on Southampton Common with 80s legend Toyah opening the proceedings (14 August).

Toyah, like other musicians and singers had to give up live performance during the pandemic, but she's said that return of live music was "a whole cultural social event."

"It's not just about people like me who sing," she said.

"It's about people who put that stage up, do the sound, do the lighting, sell the tickets, It's about all the caterers and we are back together as a community and I am so happy."

The festival focuses on the 80s music, with ABC, Howard Jones and OMD all due to perform.

The festival had hoped to go ahead in July, but the delay in the easing of lockdown restrictions forced the postpone until August.

Attendees were either required to produce a negative lateral flow test or show evidence of being double jabbed via the NHS app before attending.