High winds cause problems for Hi:Fi North

Several bands have been forced to pull out of the north leg of the Hi:Fi festival this weekend (May 27) after high winds caused damage to equipment at the Matfen Estate site.

Event organisers have now merged two arenas. As a result, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Sound Explosion, The Envelopes, The Marshalls, The Motorettes and a band who won a local competition will no longer appear on the bill.

Local heroes Maximo Park, yourcodenameis:milo and ¡Forward, Russia! will now join Ian Brown, Editors, Dirty Pretty Things and on the main live stage.

The DJ line up remains the same and the event continues to be co-headlined by Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, Digweed, Audio Bullys and 2ManyDjs.

The event will feature buses to take festival goers to and from the centre of Newcastle. Buses will depart from the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle from 10am in the morning leaving every 15 minutes: on the hour, quarter past the hour, half past the hour and quarter to the hour.

This service will run until 10pm when the service will be less frequent and will run on demand until 2am on Sunday. From 2am the service will run from the festival site returning to the centre of Newcastle, leaving every 15 minutes.