Bestival 2019: 'No plans' for event to return this year, Dorset Police told

Bestival attracted thousands of people in 2018
Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images
Jacob Jarvis6 March 2019

Bestival music festival will not return in 2019, police have been told.

Dorset Police said they were told "some time ago" that there were "no plans" for the event to be held this year.

It comes with the festival owing the force more than £100,000 for its presence at the event last year, which some 50,000 people attended.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "Some time ago, we were informed by the new event owners that there are no plans to run a Bestival 2019 event.

"The payment of our 2018 policing services invoice, totalling £141,176, to cover our policing of both Camp Bestival and Bestival is still outstanding and we've not received any full or part payment towards this.

"We are working with colleagues at Purbeck District Council as well as other members of the Safety Advisory Group and any decisions around the policing and security of Camp Bestival 2019 have yet to be made."

According to reports numerous acts from 2018 were owed fees for their performances at the Lulworth Estate.

Camp Bestival, the sister festival to Bestival, is going ahead this year at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, in July, with Nile Rodgers and Chic and Jess Glynne among confirmed performers.

The festival's organisers could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

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