ORGANISERS of the Kendal Calling music festival have cancelled the event, blaming the Government's "continued lack of leadership".

The event - one of the most successful and best-known live music festivals in the county - had been due to go ahead at the end of July but the delay in easing restrictions and continuing uncertainties over covid safety procedures have scuppered hopes of a reprieve.

In an announcement today, organisers described the situation as "heartbreaking."

They told would-be attendees: "We are so sorry.

"Last Monday saw the delay of the so-called ‘Freedom Day’. As Kendal Calling sits outside of this delay we would still be in a strong position to proceed.

"But Monday also saw a less publicised delay; the release of the long-awaited research from the Event Research Programme (ERP) and with it, crucially, the publication of safety guidance on how we run events.

"Without this safety guidance, there are numerous aspects of the festival we cannot plan, and which could lay us wide open to last minute unforeseen regulations or requirements which could scupper an already built festival.

"Capacity or density restrictions, track and trace protocol, testing regime, covid certification – a host of unknown actions required yet potentially requested too late to be implemented.

"We wish that we were able to bring you better news however it breaks our hearts to tell you that our fifteenth birthday celebrations are postponed once again.

"Postponing in 2020 was sad but understandable. Postponing in 2021 is heart-breaking. Infuriating."

The statement says the last 16 months have been "devastating" for the live music industry.

"If calls for a government-backed insurance scheme had been heeded – as recommended by the DCMS, emulating successful schemes now up and running in other countries – we could have potentially continued to plan and invest in the coming weeks," continued the statement.

"We take this opportunity to urge the government to re-appraise its approach and to listen to the recommendations of its own reports, as the continued lack of leadership hampers the recovery of our live event industry.

"Please believe me when I say that we tried our best. Despite Kendal Calling having been denied any aid from the Cultural Recovery Fund, Restart Grant or the Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund we have worked harder than ever with a clear goal in mind – to experience the joy and love that the fields we know so well are famous for.

"I think we speak for us all when I say – we needed this.

"Going two summers without a festival is devastating to all of us; we need the support of our audience now more than ever and retaining your tickets would go the longest way in helping us during this period."

Tickets will automatically roll over to next year’s festival which will take place from July 28th – 31st, 2022.

The four-week delay in the easing of the last stage of lockdown restrictions was last week described as a "hammer-blow" by leading figures from the live music and theatre sector.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the delay was necessary to avoid "a real possibility" that the virus will outrun the vaccines and lead to thousands of deaths which could otherwise be avoided.

To read the full Kendal Calling statement, click this link.