Y Not Festival is cancelled due to ‘adverse weather conditions’. The Derbyshire festival was set to continue today but organizers have said “the risk was too severe.”
Clean Bandit resorted to a short DJ set instead of a full performance while The Vaccines were totally unable to play and failed to turn up on-stage, much to the dismay of thousands of fans.
Wow! So much rain today that we couldn't set up our equipment and had to do a dj set/live PA, but you guys were amazing!!! @Y_Not_Festival pic.twitter.com/LpUH0KGL8W
— Clean Bandit (@cleanbandit) July 28, 2017
A spokesperson from Green House Group reached out to NME to reveal that festival attendees and independent companies hired by the Y Not organisers are shocked at how the festival is handling the wet conditions and how underprepared the grounds appear to be for the poor weather.
In a new statement posted on the festival’s website said: “The safety of our guests, performers and crew is our primary concern and the potential risk was too severe for Sunday to go ahead. We are very sorry for the disappointment and disruption caused to everyone who was looking forward to the final day of the festival.”
They added that attendees should pack up their tents and belonging and ‘leave the site calmly over the course of the day.’
Additional support for the car parks has allegedly been put in place, while the festival will ‘provide campsites, food stalls and welfare’ for those staying until tomorrow (July 31).
Understandably, Y Not punters are not impressed, with some taking to Twitter to share images of the festival site.
Summing up YNOT in a pic pic.twitter.com/ep2oR8rasm
— kaylaa (@kaylaloria) July 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/Elle_Wilmot/status/891227449031364608
Others blamed the festival’s poor organisation and lack of preparation for potential rain.
I've been to Glastonbury, t in the park & Kendal calling in worse weather than this. Lack of preparation is to blame & poor organisation
— Rebecca (@overdiditdoll90) July 30, 2017
The mud! The organisation…or lack of it. Could have been awesome, what a shame pic.twitter.com/AnHEiX5dx0
— Ross Pearson (@rjmpear) July 30, 2017
What a shambles, expect rain, be prepared for it, drop sawdust. Other festivals manage to deal with it due to proper organisation
— Trevor Power (@GixerTrev) July 30, 2017
The Facebook posts in the ‘Community’ section of Y Not’s page reveal that general safety concerns were already going before the weather complications.
One post reads: “Family camping was a complete free for all, no checks on who was camping there.” After specifically paying a premium for family camping and added peace of mind, adding that, “security was a joke,” with “limited checks on tickets.”
Attendees are calling for refunds and the festival said they will be ‘providing information about this in the coming days.’