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Festival saved after new location approved

Daniel MumbyLocal Democracy Reporting Service
BBC A stage which has a sign saying 'Welcome to The Godney Gathering'. There is a band on the stage and purple and white stage lights. You can see peoples arms and the top of peoples heads in the crowd. It is night time. BBC
The Godney Gathering is a two-day festival which has been running since 2011

Organisers of a festival threatened with closure say they "couldn't be more excited" after a licence was granted for it to move to a new site.

The Godney Gathering, which has featured artists such as UB40, The Darkness and Scouting for Girls, has been held at Garslade Farm, just outside Glastonbury, Somerset, since 2014.

The two-day festival is now set to move to nearby Woodford Farm after a licence was approved by Somerset Council.

Organiser Mike Daniells called the move "a new chapter" following an "emotional and challenging" journey since the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the new licence allows one event to be held each year on the third Friday and Saturday in July.

It also allows the event to have a total capacity, which includes staff, contractors, performers and volunteers, of just under 10,000 people.

Daniells said the camping element of the festival, which originally began in 2011, had previously been provided independently by a local farmer, which Daniells said had made the event "financially unviable".

"We were at a crossroads of whether we had to cancel the event, suspend it forever or try to find a new location," he added.

Daniells said the new location meant both camping and entertainment would be under one roof.

A stage with dark blue lighting. A band is stood on the stage. The audience has their arms up in the air. It is night time.
The festival will relocate to Woodford Farm for 2027

Somerset councillor Marcus Kravis, who chaired the council meeting, said he was impressed by the event management plan for the festival, describing it as "comprehensive".

Several local residents objected the decision on the grounds of noise, traffic congestion and public nuisance.

Daniells said the festival has "always worked very positively with the local community".

Following the councils decision, Daniells thanked the festival's supporters for "being patient" and believing in them.

"It's hard to put into words what this moment means to us. The journey here has been emotional and challenging at times," he said.

"A new field, a new chapter ... bring on 2027," he added.

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