The Totality eclipse festival, scheduled to take place at Newquay’s Dairyland Farm site from August 9-11, has been refused an entertainments licence.
Based around Cornwall’s full solar eclipse on August 11 and billed as ‘the greatest UK dance event of the year’, Totality was refused the licence by Carrick District Council. The event’s promoters will appeal against the decision at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court this week (June 17 & 18).
The refusal was made by the council’s policy committee after taking on board objections from local residents.
A spokeswoman for the council’s licensing department told NME: “There were a whole number of things the members of the public were objecting to. It was the effects it would have on businesses in the area, the storage of sewage and the traffic problems.”
DJs scheduled to play Totality were Sasha, John Digweed, Alistair Whitehead, Future Loop Foundation and others. Anyone seeking a ticket refund should call 01637 851851.
Meanwhile, the Total Eclipse festival at Newnham Park, Plymouth from August 6-11, applies for its entertainments licence on Wednesday (June 16) at South Hams District Council.
The 23,000-capacity event is promoted by Megadog, Essential and Harvey Goldsmith and will feature Orbital, Asian Dub Foundation, Sugarhill Gang and Gregory Isaacs among others.
Despite having an entertainments licence for 16,000 people at an outside site refused, the Eclipse 99 festival at Carlyon Bay, Cornwall (August 9-13) will still go ahead inside the bay’s New Coliseum venue. Up to 10,000 festival-goers are expected to camp on the beach but all entertainment, including Happy Mondays, 808 State, Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling will be indoors at the 5,000-capacity venue.
One festival that does have its full entertainments licence is the Lizard eclipse festival at Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula from August 7-14. The event, headlined by Kula Shaker, has just added James and The Levellers to the bill and will also feature Femi Kuti, Afro Celt Sound System and a host of DJs including Monkey Mafia‘s Jon Carter.
Look out for nme.com festivals guide coming tomorrow.