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Coachella forces Welsh festival to change name

Getty Images Ian Watkins on stage with yellow flowers projected on screen behind him wearing white shorts and strapless sequinned top and cropped blue jacket with coloured ribbons flowing down from the armsGetty Images
Ian Watkins, known as "H" from Steps, says the US festival forced him the change the name of the Cowchella event in Cowbridge

Steps star Ian "H" Watkins has said it was "mindblowing" that Coachella has forced his small Welsh festival to change its name.

Social media accounts for Cowchella in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, went down and its Eventbrite tickets page had its name disappear following a complaint which Watkins said was from Coachella Ltd, the US festival in California.

On Sunday, new social media accounts were set up for the renamed Moo-La-La Festival, hosted by Watkins, actress Claire Sweeney and BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans.

The post explained the "fab new name" and said tickets would remain valid for the inaugural event on 2 August. Coachella has been asked to comment.

Welsh singer and actor Watkins, 49, told the news agency PA that he was taking the official complaint as "a massive compliment that they feel like our little festival is a little bit of a threat to their ginormous, juggernaut of a machine".

"It's a little bit mind blowing... what we're doing is very different to what they do," he added.

He also said people "love that Coachella has put Cowbridge on the map".

Watkins admitted that thousands of pounds spent on "marketing costs, posters and banners" would be "a financial impact that we have to absorb".

He added: "We've spent a lot of money on marketing and flyers and posters and banners that are all visible around the town.

"So yes, those will have to go in the bin... but let's just do that, rather than have any more people knocking on our door."

Getty Images Singer and rapper T-Pain performing at the Coachella Stage with crowds waving their hands in the air and palm trees visible in the background as well as a large ferris wheel and marquees and mountains behindGetty Images
Watkins said he was happy that Coachella, a major festival which takes place in California, had put Cowbridge on the map

He also said there were "lots of festivals" that use wordplay, including GlastonBarry, that had not appeared to encounter the same problem.

Watkins said the idea of Moo-La-La was to "make it accessible for families that can't afford to go to Cardiff or London" for events that can cost hundreds of pounds.

"We wanted... to provide an amazing place where everybody could come have a great time, make it family friendly, accessible," he said.