A music festival in Cornwall which was to be headlined by Goldfrapp and Annie Mac has been cancelled with organisers blaming the Government's reluctance to underwrite Covid cancellation insurance.
Leopallooza, which has been a popular hit at The Wyldes, at Week St Mary, near Bude, was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and now the 2021 version has been abandoned too.
It was due to take place in July, but has now been postponed to July 22, 23 and 24 next year. The line-up included Metronomy, Goldfrapp and Annie Mac and was close to selling out before being called off.
Organisers said that, despite the Government's roadmap so far going to plan, Covid is still throwing a shadow over future events and creating uncertainty.
They also highlighted the lack of a safety net from the Government for events in the eventuality the plug has to be pulled. Nationally the organisers of hundreds of music festivals are warning that if the Government does not follow other European countries and and offer to underwrite Covid cancellation insurance they may too be forced to bring down the curtain.
Leopallooza organisers said: "It is with the deepest sadness we announce that we’re all going to have to wait a little longer to party together, and the next edition of Leopallooza will now take place July 22/23/24 2022.
"This means that our current planned 2021 dates will not take place. We have been working incredibly hard to make this year’s festival possible, however, through a combination of factors it has now become clear the situation is too uncertain to continue organising the festival in its usual form.
"By far the biggest issue is the lack of a Government-backed Covid-cancellation insurance, which despite constant campaigning from our industry still hasn’t become a reality.
"Without this the risks are simply too high for us to continue planning, doing so would not only put this year’s event at risk, but the long-term survival of the festival - and in turn, your ticket money."
Scheduling a post-pandemic event brings organisers significant financial risk, as events can still be cancelled by public health chiefs or even by a localised or national lockdown, resulting in potential losses for promoters.
Leopallooza's cancellation follows that of the Boomtown festival, near Winchester, and Shambala, in Northamptonshire, which were pulled because of insurance issues.
The music industry has been campaigning for months for a Government-backed indemnity scheme, which would provide financial support if events were effected by Covid.
European nations such as Austria, Denmark and Sweden have launched such schemes and the Dutch government has set up a £259million cancellation fund.
People who were going to this year's Leopallooza event will be able to use their ticket next year and organisers said: "Keeping hold of your tickets is the biggest thing you can do to support Leopallooza, and other festivals and events, during this time.
"We cannot guarantee you will be able to repurchase your tickets next year if you request a refund this year, as we were already incredibly close to selling out - with camping upgrades completely sold out already and campervan passes getting close. If you know you are going to want to come to Leopallooza next year we strongly advise you hold on to your tickets if possible..
"Of course refunds are available for those who need them, you will need to contact Gigantic with your booking reference number and they will be able to process your face value refund for you. We ask that you please do this by May 30, 2021."
The organisers also promised new additions and "something of a rebirth for Leopallooza" in 2022, and said: "Moving Leopallooza doesn’t mean we stop working, we’ll be using the head start on next year to our advantage.
"We do this because we love to put on live events, so two years without seeing all your glitter-covered, smiling, dancing selves is not the position we ever saw ourselves in. But here we are.
"Thank you again for your unwavering support, we truly couldn’t do it without you. And to every single person working hard in the NHS and beyond to bring us closer to normality - thank you."
