Planning medical coverage for mass gatherings in Australia: what we currently know

Large public gatherings such as fairs, sporting events, and concerts are increasingly common in modern society. These events, often called mass gatherings, have been studied for several decades and are defined in various ways. Although sometimes described as a public event attended by more than 1000 persons,1 more commonly, the term refers to events with an attendance of more than 25,000 people.2 Characteristically, people are crowded together and/or isolated from access to emergency medical care.