No plans to screen Euros games at Godiva Festival

Fans who leave the festival on Saturday will be able to re-enter before the last entry time of 20:30 BST

Football fans attending Godiva Festival this weekend will be allowed back into the event, if they leave to watch Saturday's England match.

However, there are no plans to to screen the Euros 2024 game at War Memorial Park, Coventry City Council warned.

Fans who leave to watch the England and Switzerland match, will be allowed to re-enter the festival before the last entry time of 20:30 BST, a spokesperson says.

This year's Godiva marks the 25th year of the festival, with headliners Richard Ashcroft, Paloma Faith and Beverley Knight all set to perform over the three-day event.

England will face the Swiss in their quarter-final clash, from 17:00 on Saturday.

"We support Coventry’s hospitality venues and encourage football fans to enjoy matches at the venues in the city that are screening the games," a council spokesperson said.

Those attending the festival on Saturday "will be able to leave the site to watch the game and re-enter in accordance with our conditions of entry," they added.

'A specific kind of joy'

This year's festival also features artists such as Sam Ryder, The Primitives and Holy Goof.

Sunday night headliner, Beverley Knight, from Wolverhampton, told the BBC she was excited to be headlining a festival that was "back in the Midlands."

"It's just going to be so lovely, and if the weather continues to be great, we're going to have such a great time," she said.

She described it as a "very specific kind of joy" to be able to perform in her home region.

"I'm surrounded by people who have watched the journey through music, perhaps a bit more closely than other people in other areas," Knight said.

"And I feel as though they've walked it with me, so it's a really special thing to stand on stage, in front of... people who really understand where you come from."