The Kendal Calling Music Festival has canceled its 2021 event due to a lack of government guidance.
Organizers said the lack of a government-backed insurance plan and the delay in releasing the results of the Events Research Program (ERP) contributed to the “heartbreaking” decision.
They called on the government to “reassess its approach” and “listen to the recommendations of its own reports”.
READ MORE: Man fights for life after collision involving electric scooter
Kendal Calling was scheduled to take place at Lowther Deer Park in the Lake District from July 29 to August 1 with headliners including Stereophonics and Dizzee Rascal, having canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
This meant that following the government’s decision to postpone the end of social distancing to July 19, Kendal Calling might still have been able to move forward.
However, festival bosses explained the reasons for their postponement for a second consecutive year, to July 2022, in a letter to ticket holders.
They said: “Last Monday saw the delay of the so-called ‘Freedom Day’.
Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news from the region.
Signing up only takes a few seconds – just click on this link, enter your email address and follow the instructions.
If you change your mind, you can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of each newsletter we send out.
“As Kendal Calling is outside of that time frame, we would still be in a good position to continue.
But Monday also saw a less publicized delay; the publication of the long-awaited research of the Events Research Program (ERP) pilot events, which would inform the release of crucial new safety guidelines on how we organize events. .
“Without these safety guidelines, there are many aspects of the festival that we cannot plan for, and that could expose us to unforeseen last minute regulations or requirements that we may be required to meet, any of which could cause a failure. festival already built.
Organizers said the cancellation in 2020 had been “sad but understandable”, but doing the same this year was both “heartbreaking” and “infuriating.”
They claimed that a decision had been made to “withhold” the ERP report, which was “insulting to our entire industry”.
(Image: PA)
In the letter, organizers said they were invited last week to apply for the next phase of the government’s live events pilot program, which would have allowed the festival to go ahead, but that on Saturday night it was had told them that another camping festival had been chosen.
The heavy metal festival Download is currently taking place at Donington Park in Leicestershire with reduced capacity as part of the program, with further pilot events expected to be announced next month.
Kendal Calling bosses said the lack of a government-backed cancellation insurance plan was also a factor in their decision.
“If the calls for a government-backed insurance plan had been heeded, we could have potentially continued over the next few weeks,” they said.
“We take this opportunity to urge the government to reassess its approach and listen to the recommendations of its own reports.”
Last month, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee warned that UK festivals face a “lost summer” over the government’s decision not to introduce an insurance scheme against coronavirus.
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports has been contacted for comment.
Kendal Calling will now take place from July 28 to July 31, 2022.