Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Issy Packer

‘It’s now controlled by the actual people here’: the Cornish town that saved its own music festival

Blowing up … Helen, Mel, Jim and Nick, a group of friends attending Looe Weekender festival 2024.
Blowing up … Helen, Mel, Jim and Nick, a group of friends attending Looe Weekender festival 2024. Photograph: Jonny Weeks/The Guardian

As it draws to a close, the UK’s festival season is looking far thinner than it was at the outset. In August, the Association of Independent Festivals reported that 60 UK events had either been postponed, cancelled or shut down this year, citing rising costs – and that the total was expected to reach 100 by the end of 2024.

Amid these losses, one community in south-east Cornwall has salvaged their local festival after commercial promoters couldn’t make it work, with residents, landlords and volunteers stepping in to run the show.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.