Boomtown organisers forced to abandon 'intimate festival' replacement this summer amid fears over rising Covid cases

ORGANISERS who postponed a large festival and replaced it with an intimate event as a replacement this summer have now axed it amid concerns over rising Covid cases.
Boom Village has been called off. Picture: Boomtown.Boom Village has been called off. Picture: Boomtown.
Boom Village has been called off. Picture: Boomtown.

Following the postponement of Boomtown, those behind the 66,000 capacity music and theatrical festival announced the launch of Boom Village at the end of last month.

The family-friendly and sustainability focused music festival was due to take place in the Matterley Estate near Winchester for four nights from August 12-15.

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Revellers were set to be treated to a variety of spaces including dancing on the sandy floors of the iconic sun-soaked Forest Parties and being able to rest and rejuvenate in the Forgotten Valley – a craft themed area. There was also meant to be a wellness and family entertainment.

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Hundreds of musicians, colourful walkabout performers, parades and theatre shows were due to be present.

But organisers have now ditched Boom Village.

In an announcement they said: ‘The core decision is due to the escalating cases of Covid-19 across the country, and the risks that mass illness and self-isolation could have on our crew and contractors, which would result in us not having enough people to build and deliver the show to the high public safety standards we uphold.

‘When we first came up with the concept of Boom Village we were so excited by the idea of a smaller show where we could trial new sustainable ideas. This was incredibly energising and we leapt into the project of bringing our much-loved festival community back together in a whole new way; with an intimate, locally focused and family-friendly event that put its ethos front and centre.

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‘We had devised a concept that could have worked in the current climate, despite all the existing issues such as a lack of insurance. We were navigating our way through those obstacles, but with the timelines being pushed back, the changes we’ve seen to policy and the national escalation in cases, the odds now feel stacked against us and we are no longer in a position to be able to proceed.’

They added: ‘We appreciate that this decision may be confusing in light of the latest government announcement relaxing most of the Covid legislation from Monday. In that announcement it was also stated that the responsibility and ‘common sense’ now lies with the individual or organisation; that is a responsibility we take very seriously.

‘The circumstances we’ve outlined above severely affect our ability to deliver a show where we could guarantee high levels of safety for all in attendance, as there are so many factors outside of our control.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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