Has Bestival been axed for 2019? Everything you need to know
We explain what it is and if it’s been axed for this year. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Bestival?
Bestival is a four-day festival in the south of England every summer.
The first one was in 2004 and it was held on the Isle of Wight every year until 2017 when it moved to Dorset.
The festival hosts multi-genre artists to preform over the long weekend and previous acts have been Amy Winehouse, The Flaming Lips, Bjork, Snoop Dog and Major Lazer.
It is known for its fancy dress themed days.
In 2010 it achieved the Guinness World Record for most people in fancy dress at any one event after 55,000 festival goers came dressed up.
Has Bestival been cancelled for 2019?
Bestival was cancelled on March 6 after Dorset Police confirmed there were no plans for the festival this year.
Cops added the festival had yet to pay its policing bill for 2018 festival, despite more than 50,000 people buying tickets.
A spokesperson from Dorset Police said: "The payment of our 2018 policing services invoice, totalling £141,176 to cover our policing of both Camp Bestival and Bestival is still outstanding.
"We’ve not received any full or part payment towards this.
"We have been informed by the new event owners that there are no plans to run a Bestival 2019 event.
"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."
Other artists are owed money as well, the Bournemouth Echo reported.
London Grammar, who headlined in 2018, was owed £175,000, singer Plan B is owed £105,000 and Rudimental was owed £24,500.
Another report from the administrators Begbies Traynor stated Bestival Ltd owe £3.7million to unsecured creditors.
Was Louella Fletcher-Michie’s death a factor?
Most likely no as the festival was held in 2018 after Louella died at Bestival the year before.
Louella, the daughter of Holby City star John Michie, was found dead after overdosing on party drug 2C-P at Bestival in 2017.
Her boyfriend Ceon Broughton, 30, was convicted of her manslaughter last week and jailed for eight-and-a-half years.
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