Covid: Truck Festival cancelled for second year in a row

Truck Festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to uncertainties around the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in England.

Organisers said they were "devastated" the sold-out event in Steventon, Oxfordshire, would not go ahead.

It was due to take place from 22 to 25 July after already being postponed in 2020.

Bombay Bicycle Club, The Kooks and Royal Blood were among the acts booked to play.

Other acts set to play the event, which had been announced to run at its full capacity of 10,000, included IDLES, Tom Walker, Pale Waves, Little Simz, The Big Moon, Sports Team, and Blossoms.

The festival has been rescheduled for 22 to 24 July 2022.

In a statement to ticket holders, Truck Festival said: "We've explored every possible avenue to make Truck happen this year.

"However, with the delay to the roadmap and without the necessary assurances and guidance from the government, it's become too risky for us to put the event on and deliver it to the high standard that you know, love and greatly deserve.

"It's the news that many expected but few wanted."

Tickets for the 2021 festival will be automatically rolled over to 2022, but refunds will be available.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, festival organiser Conor Burns said: "It's always been in the back of our minds [we might have to cancel] but when the 21st of June roadmap was announced we were very, very optimistic.

"But with the news of the roadmap changing last week we had to step back and realise that this might not happen.

"It was very sad yesterday."

Shortly afterwards the Public Accounts Committee published a report saying festivals faced a "survival threat" unless the government set up a cancellation insurance scheme.

The government said more help was coming via its culture recovery fund.

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