Boomtown 2021 Cancelled: New Festival Date And How To Get A Refund

Boomtown Fair, the UK's largest independent music festival, has been cancelled for a second year in a row due to COVID-19.

Boomtown Fair - Chapter One: The Gathering was meant to take place from 11-15 August 2021, by which time all of the government's Coronavirus restrictions are expected to be lifted.

Despite this, the organisers have made the tough decision to cancel it this year. It will now take place on 10-14 August 2022.

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"We are truly devastated to not be able to all come together to celebrate in the way we'd all like to this summer, and we know how hard this will be for the thousands of you who have supported us and kept the faith that we could collectively reunite in the beautiful fields this year," the organisers have said with a heavy heart in a statement.

Why can't Boomtown go ahead this year?

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions being fully lifted by August 2021, the organisers of Boomtown have said they can't go ahead with the event due insurance and the cost of the event.

Boomtown Fair - Chapter One: The Gathering

The organisers have said that despite "collective campaigning" to the government, there's currently no insurance cover for events if they have to cancel due to COVID-19. This means any events going ahead this year would be taking a gamble without the safety net of insurance, should it not be cancelled due to Coronavirus.

"For an independent event as large and complex as Boomtown, this means a huge gamble into an 8-figure sum to lose if we were to venture much further forward, and then not be able to go ahead due to COVID," said the organisers in a statement.

Arts Council England grant 'does not solve the problem'

"Although we have recently been awarded a very generous grant from the Arts Council England, which we are incredibly grateful for and throws us a vital and necessary lifeline, the reality is it represents only a fraction of the costs (under 10%) involved in creating an event to the sheer scale and ambition of Boomtown, and only goes so far to plugging the deficit left from not being able to run our event, now for two years in a row, and most pressingly does not solve the problem of lack of insurance."

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How to get a refund for Boomtown 2021 tickets

If you bought a ticket to Boomtown 2021, the organisers have confirmed the tickets will automatically be carried over to Boomtown 2022. Or you can get a full refund.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has kept their ticket with us over the past year, you really did save the festival, and will continue to do so if you are able to roll them over for another year."

If you weren't able to get a ticket for this year's Boomtown Fair, the resale of tickets for 2021 (which will be carried over to 2022) go on sale on 1 June as planned.

Topics: Coronavirus

Laura Sanders

Laura is a journalist working across all of LADbible's brands. After graduating from Birmingham City University with her Masters in journalism, she was a freelance reporter for local radio before working for Euronews, and then joining us. Laura loves to write stories which involve travel or interesting humans (or both).

@laurathejourno