A charity bike ride that is raising money for people in the entertainment industry whose livelihoods have been shattered by the coronavirus crisis, will be stopping off at the Glastonbury Festival site today (October 13).

Having started in Newcastle on Saturday October 3, the Survival Tour will be finishing in London on Sunday October 18, and involves five industry stalwarts (plus one driving the bus) cycling between 80km and 125km per day, representing the UK tour season that never happened this year.

Stopping off at more than 50 of the most iconic festival, tour and performance venues that have all been standing empty, dark and silent, since the start of lockdown, the tour will cover more than 1,500km.

The team set off from Bristol this morning and will be arriving at Worthy Farm later today, before staying in the area overnight and then heading off to Bournemouth tomorrow.

The tour aims to raise awareness of the plight of the million-plus workers in the UK events industry, to raise funds for Backup #WeMakeEvents' chosen charity that provides help to employees, freelancers and their families suffering in the entertainment sector, and to kick off RESTART, the next phase of the #WeMakeEvents campaign.

The five riders and driver of the support vehicle, provided by Crossland Bussing, all have established careers in the events industry, having worked with the biggest names in the world including Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Roger Waters, Florence and The Machine, Mumford and Sons, and more.

Heading up the initiative are Steve Reynolds and Loud Sound colleague Mike Trasmundi along with Mark Ward of Proper Productions and colleagues Harry Ford and Tyler Cole-Holmes.

Steve said: "Having worked in the entertainment and events business for so many years we all felt we had to do something, both to raise awareness to the public, who rarely see us behind the scenes, and inform the Government of the impending collapse of this sector, one that has grown year-on-year and is regarded as the best in the world, and is on the brink of collapse.

"Most of our friends and colleagues work in this industry, we know their families and they are suffering.

"In fact, it's like a big extended family, and we couldn't stand by and let it just disappear without trying to help. So, to anyone reading, please make a donation on our donations page, thank you so much."

After the start in Newcastle, the riders have already visited Northallerton, Leeds, Manchester, Warrington, Sheffield, Nottingham, Coalville, Birmingham and Oxford before arriving in Bristol yesterday.

After stopping off at the Glastonbury Festival site today and then heading to Bournemouth tomorrow, the riders will cycle to Portsmouth, Brighton and London.

Gary White of #WeMakeEvents said: "We're delighted Steve and the team are helping in this way.

"It's a typically generous gesture that we're used to seeing from this industry. We're extremely aware that many in our industry are suffering a sharp decline in their mental health and, with little or no work or income for the past six months and no prospect of jobs until at least spring 2021, it's important that we all pull together and raise funds to help them."

You can help by donating to the charity on https://we-make-events.raisely.com/thesurvivaltour.