Festival to go ahead after new organiser appointed

An annual coastal music festival will go ahead despite uncertainty over its organisers, it has been confirmed.

Investors behind the Lindisfarne Festival in Northumberland have appointed its founder, Conleth Maenpaa, to ensure it goes ahead on the last weekend of August.

The decision came after original organiser Wannasee, which was behind numerous festivals in the region, announced it was speaking to liquidators and cancelling other events.

The news has been welcomed by ticketholders and businesses, with headliners at the Beal Farm event set to include Armand Van Halen, Doves and The Waterboys.

Mr Maenpaa, who organised the first eight Lindisfarne Festivals, told the BBC he was "absolutely gutted" when he heard the 10th anniversary of the event might not take place this summer as other events were being axed.

"Not just for the punters who have grown to love it but also for the hardworking staff and for the volunteers and all the traders and contractors who rely on this," he said.

He was approached by the festival's investors, who are also behind Hardwick Festival in Sedgefield, County Durham, to take it over after Wannasee, which ran Lindisfarne last year, started having issues.

"We can't let something like this go to waste," Mr Maenpaa said. "It's important to everybody and to the region as well'.

Bernard Rostron, who has sold ethically sourced goods at his Priya stall since its first year, said the festival's cancellation would have had a big impact.

He said: "The knock-on is on the people who work with us because they lose a wage, but there's another impact on the suppliers."

His store room near Penrith in Cumbria is filled with handmade items of clothing and bags from suppliers in places like Kathmandu and Rajasthan, who rely on his orders.

Mr Rostron said four of the festivals he attended last year were not happening in 2025 and there was uncertainty about another four.

He said: "Business isn't what it used to be.

"In Kathmandu, for instance, for one of our jacket suppliers, we are his only European customer now which is quite frightening for him, so that hurts us given that we care so deeply about our supply chain."

Avid festival-goer Kevin Cooper reckons he went to 150 gigs and events last year and he would be sorry to not be able to attend Lindisfarne.

His home in Burnopfield, County Durham, is testament to his passion for music, the walls lined with CDs, vinyls and gig posters.

"Pre-Covid there was an explosion of festivals and I think post-Covid there's been a winding down of a number of them," he said.

He said he was "very disappointed" when festivals were cancelled. "Things like this damage consumer confidence but I do worry about what it does to the music industry which, while I'm not part of it, is very much a part of my life."

Mr Maenpaa said people could have confidence in Lindisfarne going ahead.

He said: "We've got a backer who is very capable of looking after everything.

"We've got everything in place - there maybe a few alterations that we don't know about because we are jumping in at the last minute, but we will put everything on and we will have most of the old team back so everything will be absolutely brilliant and we'll make it the best festival we possibly can."

Wannasee has been contacted for comment.

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