Music fans in Liverpool have called Hope & Glory festival “dangerous” and “shambolic” in the wake of chaos on the event’s first day.
The 12,5000-capacity festival was booked to take place at William Brown Street in the city’s St George’s Quarter. James, Hacienda Classical, Ocean Colour Scene, Razorlight and The Fratellis were amongst those to feature on the line-up.
Police were called to the event yesterday (August 5) when the area became overcrowded. Thousands of fans were made to wait for hours and many complained of poor access to facilities including toilets, food and drink.
Merseyside Police tweeted that they were “working with stewards at opening up another entrance”.
Merseyside Police are aware of the current issues at the Hope and Glory festival we areworking with Stewards at opening up another entrance.
— MerPolCC (@MerPolCC) August 5, 2017
Organisers for the festival blamed the production manager for the chaos and posted his name and email address on a post on their Facebook page. “The production manager who did not complete the site in time and did not provide the planned bridged walkways into the garden was Richard Agar,” it read.
In a statement provided to the Liverpool Echo, festival promoter Lee O’Hanlon said Hope & Glory would take place today (August 6) as planned, saying “steps had been taken to ensure another great day of entertainment.”
However, the event was pulled hours before gates were due to open. “Following the unfair and vitriolic comments, some of us have decided not to proceed,” they wrote on their Twitter page. Another tweet read: “no festival today”.
https://twitter.com/HopeAndGloryFes/status/894106624444559360
https://twitter.com/HopeAndGloryFes/status/894125312828747776
Notices posted on fences around the festival area read: “The event management company who were responsible for delivering the Hope and Glory event have decided to cancel today’s festival.
“Liverpool City Council has no choice but to accept this decision.”
Notices up around the festival saying Hope and Glory in Liverpool has been cancelled pic.twitter.com/IkQExTAolH
— Roisin Hastie (@RoisinHastie) August 6, 2017
Fans have hit out at the festival organisers for the way the issues were handled. “Hope and glory festival was an absolute shambles!” wrote on Twitter user.
“So the Hope and Glory festival turned out badly,” posted another. “Like the Fyre Festival but with none of the lols.”
“What a disaster hope and glory festival is,” another user tweeted. “Price of the tickets as well [tickets were reportedly £90]. 12,000 people on the cobbles? Lucky to get 4 taxis there.”
Another tweeted at local radio station Radio City 697, asking: “Can you see us in at the hope and glory festival from your tower. We are basically trapped. So dangerous.” See more reactions below.
https://twitter.com/Scott_Roberts89/status/894160693842280449
https://twitter.com/sterushton/status/894154426566533124
What a disaster hope and glory festival is. Price of the tickets Aswell. 12,000 people on the cobbles? Lucky to get 4 taxis there
— benji brown (@benjitrfc) August 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/cogiebear/status/893867669430165506
Donald Trump has taken over public relations duties for the Hope and Glory festival by the look of it
— Brian Banana (@Brian_ban) August 6, 2017
That hope and glory festival couldn't of had a worse name could it
— Robert Blundell (@bobby1878) August 6, 2017
y not and now hope and glory, is 2017 just the year of shite festival organisation or what
— Emily (@wyytches) August 6, 2017
I see the organisers of hope and glory festival need to undertake some sort of "how to deal with a mess they've created" lesson.
— googlyeyecat 🐈 (@googlyeyecat) August 6, 2017
Y Not: we wanna be the worst organised festival in the UK:
Hope and Glory fest: pic.twitter.com/l47qOOSPjF— // Tara // (@immabeahippo) August 6, 2017
Yesterday, Charlotte Church tweeted that she had been removed from the line-up due to the delays. “We’re gutted!” she wrote in a series of tweets, before saying she was trying to find an alternative venue to play. The singer eventually organised a last minute edition of her Pop Dungeon performance at club night Liquidation.
1. Hello! Just to let you know we have been pulled from the hope and glory lineup due to them running 2 hours behind. We're gutted! We…
— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) August 5, 2017
James frontman Tim Booth tweeted after his band’s set: “Well that was fucked up. Sorry everyone who was messed around so badly. Hope you managed to find some pleasure amongst the chaos. NBL.”
The official festival Twitter account later quoted his tweet and replied: “It really wasn’t.”
https://twitter.com/HopeAndGloryFes/status/894106195342106624
Venues in and around the city are in the process of organising alternative places for bands booked for the festival today to play.
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