THIS summer's Tankfest event will still go ahead despite the coronavirus – but the live show will have no spectators, instead being streamed online.

Thousands of people normally pack out the festival's arena, where historic and modern armour is put through its paces.

However, with The Tank Museum having shut in March due to coronavirus, the arena will have no crowds for the first time in the event's twenty year history.

As the museum's largest fundraiser of the year, Tankfest is normally expected to attract 25,000 visitors to museum at Bovington. But come the weekend of June 26-28, in what is the event's twentieth anniversary year, all the action in the arena will be broadcast on The Tank Museum's YouTube and Facebook channels.

A museum spokesman said: "The Tank Museum is partnering with World of Tanks – and tank museums around the world – to create the first live-streamed historic tank event.

"Tankfest Online will feature the famous tank arena show, historical content, tank demonstrations and a fundraiser to support The Tank Museum, which has been closed to the public since March due to Covid-19.

"The fundraiser will support the museum, in their efforts to preserve historic vehicles, such as the Tiger 131.

"Tankfest is the biggest fundraising event of the year for The Tank Museum charity and Tankfest Online is one of the many ways The Tank Museum has worked to innovate during lockdown, to secure a revenue stream for the museum.

"Another star of Tankfest Online will be revealed closer to the start of the event, and will shine even brighter by the time we are finished with it. The Tank Museum has agreed to paint one of their vehicles and live stream the process for everyone to see on Friday, June 26.

"The vehicle will be painted based on the Tankfest 2018 historical camouflage – and this scheme will also be for sale to support the museum."

Visit tankmuseum.org/events/tankfest-online for details.