Charity plans zoo music festival

Last year's Zoo8 festival, held on the same site, was criticised by many fans

An animal charity is to host a new music festival in Kent to raise money for endangered species.

Red List Live will be held next to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent.

The Aspinall Foundation will run the event, a year after it was forced to bail out promoters of another music festival that took place on the site.

Red List Live organisers say they have nothing to do with the promoters of Zoo8, which fans said was a "shambles" and the "worst festival ever".

A string of leading acts pulled out, and The Aspinall Foundation - which owns the land - had to step in to pay others to ensure they performed.

"We want to make it totally clear we're nothing to do with Zoo8," said Red List Live festival director Eddie Hill. "The only similarity is the piece of land the event's going to be held on. That's our land.

Mark Ronson wore a monkey mask as he headlined Zoo8

"We had to step in to pay a few bands to make sure those bands went on stage to make sure the event remained safe. That was our priority. A lot of people were disappointed by acts who didn't turn up."

Of last year's festival, Ms Hill said: "The Aspinall Foundation didn't lose money, but it didn't make as much as it should have done from hosting the event."

Red List Live is being run by a new team employed by The Aspinall Foundation, who would "deliver a really fantastic event properly funded, properly staffed properly managed", she said.

"We can't run and hide. Two thousand animals are not easy to pack up and disappear with if things don't work out the way they should."

Veteran rock bands The Undertones and The Wedding Present are already on the bill, with the headliners still to be announced. Comedy, theatre and arts are also promised.

Organisers aim to raise �100,000 for the Aspinall Foundation, which runs two wildlife parks in Kent and two gorilla rescue and rehabilitation projects in Africa.

Each weekend ticket will include a �5 donation to the charity, which will also receive 50% of any profits.

Red List Live also has the backing of, and hopes to raise awareness of, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, Ms Hill added.

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