Bestival – one of the best music festivals in the country – is saying goodbye to the Isle of Wight and moving to Dorset, it has been announced this morning (Thursday).
The withdrawal of the event, which has been hosted at Robin Hill Country Park near Newport every September since 2004, comes as a major blow for the Island’s economy.
Bestival curator Rob Da Bank has said:
“We can confirm we have submitted a licence application for a new site at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset and we’re super excited about our shiny new Bestival adventure. We have an incredible line-up, headliners confirmed and ridiculous new stages and installations coming your way in 2017.
“We remain fully committed to supporting the Isle of Wight through music, charities and projects and will be giving Islanders an exclusive ticket offer for the new site”.
Although the news will sadden many, it has been confirmed that the Bestival team are working towards a new event for the Island.
Dave Grindle, Operations Director, Loud Sound, has remarked:
“Taking Bestival to a new site is an exciting undertaking for everybody involved. It’s a fantastic opportunity for Loud Sound to manage the logistics of two different shows at the Lulworth Estate. The extensive knowledge we’ve gained of the site and the surrounding area over the past decade will help us deliver two unique events while minimising any disturbance to local residents”.
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Anyone who has purchased a ticket for Bestival already can claim a full refund.
Bestival already run Camp Bestival in Dorset, Common People in Southampton and Oxford and Bestival Toronto in Canada.
UPDATE @ 09:42 – Hovertravel, who have been transporting Bestival revellers across the Solent since the beginning, have commented on this morning’s announcement:
“Whilst Hovertravel is disappointed for the Isle of Wight, we thank Bestival for holding such a great event since 2004. We have enjoyed supporting this award-winning festival and fully appreciate that every business needs to make tough commercial decisions to evolve.
“Our Bestival weekends are always busy, although not the busiest weekends of our year, and we have had plenty of fun transporting Bestival customers for more than a decade.
“Everyone at Hovertravel wishes the organisers well with their new venue and we look forward to ferrying Island residents en route to Bestival”.
Red Funnel have also issued a statement this morning saying:
“Red Funnel is disappointed that Bestival is moving but we appreciate the intense competition in the sector and the need for festivals to grow to an optimum size to maximise economies of scale.
“Red Funnel has been a big supporter of the pioneering, multi-award winning Bestival since its inception in 2004 and has greatly enjoyed working with Rob and the team to bring a young, alternative audience to the Isle of Wight.
“We wish Bestival every success for the future and look forward to working with the team to bring a new event to the Island next year”.
UPDATE @ 10:14 – In response to a request for more information regarding the reasons behind Bestival’s departure, a Bestival spokesperson has said:
“The Isle of Wight has been an incredible host for our first Chapter and we are really sad to be leaving our spiritual home at Robin Hill.
“Bestival has always been and remains a fully independent organisation and family. It has been a very hard decision to make, our hardest to date, but moving the show to Dorset will ensure we continue to evolve, innovate and deliver the best possible experience for our fans.
“Robin hill is one of a number of landowners that Bestival works with, we’ve always had a great relationship with them, however, the costs of running a festival have increased across the board and moving is something we have been considering for a number of years. We feel this is the right time for a change that benefits both the business and the consumer”.
UPDATE @ 10:51 – A spokesperson for Wightlink has said:
“We are sad to see the event move off the island having closely supported it for many years.
“The Isle of Wight has more than 40 major festivals and events every season bringing new and repeat visitors from the mainland. We will also work closely with them and Visit Isle of Wight to ensure that these continue to grow.
“We look forward to working with the Bestival team to ensure we offer travel packages to the Island’s many Bestival fans who will want to continue attending the event at its new venue and wish them every success for the future”.
