Houghton festival will no longer go ahead in 2021.
For the third consecutive year, organisers have been forced to postpone the third edition of the event, which counts fabric resident DJ Craig Richards as its overall curator. Organisers have cited the UK government’s failure to support the festival, as well as the general community around the UK’s nightlife and festival industry, as their reason for rescheduling the event for 2022.
A statement shared by the festival said: "We have done everything humanly possible to make the party happen but the odds, as they currently stand, are stacked against us. We are utterly heartbroken that this journey has come to an end but in order to protect the future of the festival we have no choice but to stop here."
The statement goes on to reference the challenges facing event organisers in the coming weeks, as nightlife returns to England, which include the UK’s contact tracing app potentially forcing much of the festival’s workforce to isolate "with a simple ping." Without enough people to work at, and build, the event, the festival’s statement said, "it is simply impossible to deliver the show safely and in full flourish."
Next year’s edition will take place from August 11 to 14. The 2021 event was sold out, and those who purchased tickets have the option of requesting a refund or holding on to their ticket for next year.
Houghton was forced to postpone last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was also cancelled at short notice in 2019 due to extreme weather conditions that meant the event could not go ahead safely.
You can read the festival’s full statement here.
